Shinobi no Kami
by AlexDnD
Summary: Hiruzen was considered the 'God of shinobi.' This story makes the assumption that the title was entirely justified. What happens when the Shinobi no Kami has a different response on the Hyūga abduction attempt? It is time to let slip the dogs of war.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This idea popped into my head and wouldn't go away. Hiruzen was considered the 'God of shinobi.' This story makes the assumption that the title was entirely justified. Enjoy!

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

 **Chapter 1:** Pushed Too Far

Sarutobi Hiruzen had just received the demands from the Raikage. Just a few days ago he had been informed that the 'head ninja' was dead. Dead at the hands of the head of the Hyūga clan. The title of head ninja wasn't accurate; it was really a meaningless honorific to grant additional weight to the diplomat of Kumogakure. Nonetheless he had been here to sign the formal peace treaty. The fighting had ended a bit over three years ago when Iwagakure had been forced to surrender by the Yondaime.

And now he was dead and the Raikage was demanding the head of his "murderer." Kumogakure claimed that he was murdered and that there was no abduction plot. That this was an insult from Konoha and that unless they gave up Hiashi's head they would declare war again on Konoha.

'It isn't just because the Yondaime is gone. The kyūbi attack devastated our village and they sense weakness.'

Hiruzen was tired. He had gotten little sleep that last couple of nights as he worried over what Kumo's response would be. It had been as he had feared. They meant kill the man who had done what any parent would do. It turned his stomach.

Hiashi was heading to his office now. His three advisors were already here and they all waited in silence. The Sandaime knew their council. The village was weak. It was still reeling. Kumo would pay for their crimes one day but for now it was better to sacrifice one shinobi than face a war they would lose.

It wasn't as simple as that. They would need the Hyūga's blessing. The Hyūga clan was one of the most powerful of the many clans within Konoha. They were also considered the most noblest and unlike the Uchiha they had the goodwill of the populace behind them. Their courtly manners and aloof attitude seemed so much more palatable than the conceited and arrogant Uchiha.

Hiashi entered and despite the situation no sign of worry marred his face. He bowed to the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama. I have been informed of what the Raikage has asked of us. If it will protect the village I will let them take my head. I have no regrets. My daughter will be safe and I will have done my duty."

Hiruzen had seen many shinobi die for their comrades. It was honorable. It was noble. It embodied the very Will of Fire. Perhaps he had seen it one too many times. Perhaps it was the tragedies that had hounded him over the last three years.

Minato. Kushina. His beloved wife. And so many others. And then after the tragedy of the nine tailed fox attack it continued to pile on. His own student was found conducting experiments too horrible for words. Hashirama's dream of peace seemed so far away now. His hand trembled.

He could feel the eyes of Danzō on him. He was watching, always watching and looking for any weakness. But it wasn't with frailty that Sarutobi's hand was trembling in.

It was rage.

Everyone in the room stumbled back as the Hokage's killing intent flared to a level that had not been seen in over a decade.

"No." His voice was iron.

"I have had enough. For decades our village has pushed for peace. The Shodai gifted the other villages with the bijū. And for what? For treachery and war to hound us. For the jackals to try to tear us down and destroy what we have built."

His thoughts raced one after another. He would not give them Hiashi. He would not bow to petty tyrants and a Raikage nearly half his age.

"They would seek the death of one of my shinobi. They would seek the death of a father who acted as a father ought. They would seek to cow us? No more will we seek peace at any cost. If the Raikage wants war we will give him war!"

Danzō looked at the Hokage in alarm. The roles had been absurdly reversed. Hiruzen was the one who called for peace when Iwa was on its knees while Danzō called for them to be finished. And now it was the peace loving idealist calling for war at the wrong time.

"Think about what you are saying. We lost a third of our shinobi to the kyūbi."

Hiruzen laughed. All inhabitations were gone. His vast intellect was already moving beyond this meeting to the steps he would need to take to assure this awful choice would never have to be made again. The sudden laugher coupled with the out of character response had everyone in the room starting to doubt the Hokage's stability.

His eyes were bright and alive, more so than they had been at any time since the death of his wife.

The suffocating killing intent died down as Hiruzen eyed them with excitement.

"Every action I have made was always done with deliberation and toward the cause of bringing peace to the Elemental Nations. It has made me shortsighted. I had hoped that yesterday's enemies could become tomorrow's friends. I had followed in the footsteps of my predecessors. And now our village is on the edge of ruin and a target for thieves and usurpers. The time is now for Konohagakure to stand up for itself and show the entire world that we will no longer consent to be their target."

"The time will present itself but it is not now." Danzō countered.

Hiruzen stood up. "I am going to show Kumogakure and the world that Konoha is done playing nice. Your objections are noted and dismissed."

A look silenced Danzō's next statement. Hiashi allowed a look of gratitude to mar his perfect Hyūga visage.

"Prepare your clan for war Hiashi. ANBU send a message and advise Uchiha Fugaku that I will be meeting with him in the hour. Tell Inuzuka Tsume that I will be at the Inuzuka compound in two. Have Namiashi Raidō, Shiranui Genma, and Tatami Iwashi report to my office at once."

The Hokage had not become known as the 'The Professor' simply by knowing a lot of jutsu. His keen intellect and ability to make rapid decisions was one of his greatest weapons. He believed this though he would also admit his high chakra reserves, skill in taijutsu, ninjutsu, fuinjutsu and bukijutsu certainly didn't hurt. And now he was using that decision making ability to formulate plans.

Danzō made to speak again and Hiruzen spoke above him as he opened his mouth.

"I want a full report on what combat teams are available in ROOT. I also want any intelligence about Kumogakure on my desk by tomorrow."

Danzō prided himself on his ability to compose himself as a shinobi. To not reveal emotion in the face of tragedy, turmoil or rage. At this point it was taking all of his iron self control to not scream at his childhood rival.

"Do not try my patience. I am the Hokage. I believe you want what is best for this village otherwise you would have been killed some time ago. My course is set and short of killing me there will be no halting my plans."

Danzō subsided and lowered his head. "As you wish Hokage-sama."

The man knew when to fight and went to run. Sarutobi's blood was up. Shades of his utter dominance on the battlefield had reappeared before his eyes. There was a reason he had inherited the title of **Shinobi no Kami** (God of Shinobi). Had age brought him low or did he still have the capacity through force of will and sheer power to defeat his enemies?

The head of ROOT walked stiffly out of the office to do his leader's bidding as he considered with a mixture of hope and trepidation what Hiruzen would unleash on the battlefield.

 *****BREAK****

The three former bodyguards of the Yondaime Hokage were curious as to why the Sandaime had called for them. They were no longer on the same team so it was odd. Genma was of the opinion it might have something to do with a mission many years ago while Raidō was convinced it had something to do with the modified Hiraishin that Namikaze-sama had taught them.

Raidō ended up winning that bet. The three found themselves in the office with the Hokage alone. And they were actually truly alone. Not even the normal ANBU guards were hidden nearby.

The Sandaime had just finished completing his letter to the Raikage when they arrived. In the letter he wrote that the Hyūga clan would willingly give up Hiashi. The Raikage or a personal representative was invited to view the execution in Konoha. Hiruzen knew that they weren't going to accept that offer. They wanted Hiashi's body so they could take his eyes. However the falsehood would give him more time to prepare.

The Hokage looked up at three shinobi he had summoned. He minced no words and immediately got to the point.

"The Yondaime taught you how to use the Hiraishin as a team. You have one week to teach two more teams this jutsu."

The senbon dropped out of Genma's mouth.

"Hokage-sama but why? We haven't had a reason to use that jutsu since…" Shiranui paused. Everyone knew instantly that they hadn't used that jutsu since the Yondaime had died.

"So I need to explain myself to my own shinobi then?"

The three hastily shook their heads but Hiruzen continued.

"We are going to war and that jutsu will allow me to be on multiple battlefields at the same time. You and the six others will need to mark a number of individuals with the sealing formula."

Sadly the Nidaime and Yondaime's teleportation jutsu had not been written down, not even in the forbidden scroll. Both had felt it was too dangerous of a technique to put to parchment and instead it would be closely guarded and only handed down personally. And even then not just any shinobi could learn it. Minato no doubt had planned on teaching his son Naruto when he came of age.

"Who should we select?" Raidō asked.

"I leave that to you however they must be completely trustworthy. Hatake Kakashi and Maito Gai are beyond reproach. You'll need four more from there."

The three nodded. It would be critical to pick individuals who were trustworthy as well as ones who had skill and the ability to learn a new jutsu quickly. Many thought that Gai was incapable of ninjutsu however that wasn't true. The oddly dressed man simply preferred to rely on taijutsu.

The Hokage dismissed them and personally delivered the letter to the messenger bird, or more precisely birds. Messages in between villages of the highest importance weren't left to chance and so the message was duplicated and sent on a second bird.

That done, he gave additional orders to his ANBU and then headed for the Uchiha district.

 *****BREAK*****

Hiashi had returned to the Hyūga clan compound in a daze. He had expected to lose his life and instead the Hokage had chosen to go to war. He was honored by the decision and felt renewed pride for Konohagakure.

The elders and Hizashi were waiting for him.

Despite being elated on the inside he kept the stoic demeanor that was fitting of the Hyūga clan leader. He calmly spoke to the leaders of his clan.

"The Hokage has refused to barter my life away. He intends to make war upon Kumo."

The elders were naturally shocked. Sarutobi had been a proponent of peace at nearly any cost. Just a few short years ago they could have finished Iwagakure for good but the Sandaime had instead signed a peace treaty. It had not been a popular decision among the Hyūga clan.

One of the elders spoke up and said, "We were never going to give you up. It would have been your brother who would have given his life up for the sake of the main family. You should tell the Hokage this before he makes decisions that are irreversible."

Hiashi felt his cool mask dissipate. "What? Were you not going to tell me of this plan?"

Hizashi looked down. "No, not until the last moment."

The same fire that had been lit in Hiruzen was now igniting in Hiashi. He loved his twin and while he knew the branch family served the main family he would not have agreed to this. The fact that the elders had talked to his brother behind his back infuriated him.

"Hokage-sama has all the information he needs from the Hyūga. The Hokage will not allow sacrifices to be made so that we can appease our enemies. They struck at my daughter under my own roof. They believe we will meekly bow down before them in the name of peace. The Sandaime's actions today have opened my eyes. No more will we repay aggression with weakness. If they strike us we kill those who struck. If they kill one of ours we will kill ten of theirs. If they kill ten of ours we annihilate a clan. If they kill a clan we will annihilate their village root and branch."

The clan elders were stoic but the Will of Fire made manifest was an alluring dream. Like much of the senior shinobi of the village they had questioned the Hokage's decision to make peace instead of destroying Iwa. Old Hiruzen had long compared the Will of Fire to a beacon that would light the world in peace. But for too long now the enemies of Konohagakure had mocked that beacon and had sought to topple it. It was time for a new metaphor to rally the village. The Will of Fire would be a raging inferno that seared its enemies and annihilated those that would try to snuff that flame.

Caught up in the moment the elders could barely maintain their neutral expressions. In their hearts the flames of youth had been lit for a moment and they longed to race forward on the battlefield and bring destruction to their foes. For now the Hyūga would rally behind their clan leader and their Hokage against those that would dare to kidnap the heir to their noble clan.

 *****BREAK*****

Genma and the others had to think quickly to determine who they could recruit. Ultimately Genma wanted someone who he could trust. Even if the man was annoying. The man of course was Ebisu. Ebisu, Gai and Genma had all been part of the same genin team.

'I'm going to regret this.' He thought with great certainty.

As Genma swiftly tracked down his former teammate, Raidō went to find the other three. After much discussion they had decided that clan heads could be trusted. And one particular group of clan leaders was closely aligned and had served together with distinction. Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku and Chōza Akimichi made up the Ino-Shika-Chō combination. Their status as clan heads made them trustworthy and their team work was legendary. They would be perfect for what the Sandaime had in mind.

Raidō sought out Shikaku first. He arrived and saw little Shikamaru earning how to play shōgi. His father was teaching him the moves. Raidō thought the boy was a bit young to learn but the Nara clan had always produced geniuses.

He approached and Shikaku turned to his son. "Go inside."

Shikamaru dutifully did so though his gaze was curious. Raidō was not a regular at the Nara compound.

"Business?"

"Yes, orders from the Sandaime. Please bring your teammates as well. We'll meet by training field 42."

There was a lull as the Nara processed the information.

"War then?"

Surprised by the quick conclusion Raidō nodded in affirmation.

"Yes. Kumo." His response was short. He had yet to fully process the reality of it. It hadn't been too long since the third shinobi war. Facing the prospect of open war troubled Namiashi. He wasn't fearful of conflict, that was part of being a shinobi but conflict on such a scale with the stakes so incredibly high was a different matter.

"We'll be there," Shikaku promised and used the body flicker technique to get moving, his mind no doubt already considering the strategic implications of war with another hidden village. This was no time for laziness as troublesome as it would be, haste was warranted.

 **AN:** Don't expect many updates – Wrapping up Genius Sensei and then doing more with Nine Tailed Possession is still my priority. I got a lot of good feedback on having the shinobi world at war with each other in Genius Sensei so figured this might be a fun concept. Let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2: Aligning the Pieces

**AN:** Wow – I can't believe I got that many review for the first chapter! I really appreciate your thoughts, thank you.

 **Chapter 2:** Aligning the Pieces

Uchiha Fugaku was in an irritable mood when the messenger came. The unfortunate events surrounding the death of the ambassador from Kumogakure were already being laid at the feet of the Uchiha.

Ignorant civilians knew the rivalry between the two great dōjutsu clans and that was enough to spark the rumors. The current thought was that the Military Police had not sufficiently patrolled the Hyūga grounds.

'As if we would be allowed to enter their compound in the first place!'

The Military Police were in place to police the village, all of the village to include shinobi. Officially they had the authority to arrest anyone save the ANBU, since they reported directly to the Hokage. However in reality they were not allowed on the premise of any of the clan compounds unless they were there to make an official arrest. The hue and cry the other, lesser clans, would make if the Uchiha were permitted on their grounds would never be lived down.

But no one cared for the truth. It was bad enough civilians spread the rumor but even shinobi gave voice to it. The Uchiha were responsible for keeping order in the village and that meant taking down drunk and disorderly shinobi on more than a few occasions. The high stress life of a shinobi led many to vices or odd obsessions. When the Uchiha loyally did their duty and kept the village safe they were viewed as overbearing thugs drunk on power.

The fundamental unfairness of it had incensed his clan. Fugaku was not so blind to see that some of his Military Police acted out their frustrations when doing their duty. His clan was proud and they were being spat on the village they had helped found! Whispers among the elders of the clan who most remembered the glory days of the Uchiha were gathering strength and it was becoming more and more difficult to gainsay them. This latest insult was just another nail in the coffin of their loyalty to the village.

And then the ANBU messenger came. The Uchiha clan head unconsciously activated his Sharingan. Was the Hokage really going to place the blame on his clan for what happened? He would be damned if he let that old man chastise the Military Police for this incident!

The ANBU however didn't have the expected summons to the Hokage tower. To his shock the message was that Sarutobi Hiruzen was coming to the Uchiha district! It was rare for a Hokage to visit another clan compound. As the highest ranking individual in the village he was entitled to having people visit him, not the other way around. For him to come here was a sign of respect and trust.

"We are of course honored to have the Lord Hokage underneath our roof."

The ANBU operative inclined his head and replied. "He will arrive in the hour."

Jolted out of his anger he pondered as to why he would be receiving a visit from Sarutobi. With his jaded eyes he assumed he wanted something from him. Nonetheless it was gratifying to have the Hokage under his roof. One did not go to a subordinates home to chastise them and it would quell the rumors that they had somehow failed in protecting the village due to the attack on the Hyūga clan.

"Mikoto prepare some tea for the Hokage. I do not know if he will wish to speak in private; ensure that Itachi and Sasuke are formally attired."

His wife instantly processed what this kind of visit meant. A small smile appeared on her face as she hurried to locate their two sons.

 *****BREAK*****

Hiruzen entered into the Uchiha home and was greeted by Uchiha Mikoto who bowed low.

"You honor us with your presence Lord Hokage. May I bring you any refreshment?"

He shook his head. "No I am fine. Where is your husband?"

Acting as the host she walked him to the adjoining room where Sasuke, Itachi and Fugaku were waiting. When he entered Fugaku inclined his head slightly.

"Hokage-sama may I present my two sons. Itachi a genin and my youngest Sasuke."

They both bowed in unison.

Sarutobi smiled. "It is good to see you again Itachi-kun. You shattered all of the Academy records. Your sensei is impressed as well with your potential." He turned to Sasuke. "And young Sasuke, I hope you will take after your brother when you enter into the Academy."

Itachi nodded gravely while Sasuke looked awed at being addressed by the Hokage.

Hiruzen turned to face the clan head. "We have much to discuss."

Fugaku took the hint and dismissed his children. This was to be a private discussion. Once they had left Hiruzen looked at the proud Uchiha. He considered the best approach and opted for the direct one.

"We are going to war with Kumogakure."

Fugaku's eyes widened in surprise. Like all of the heads of the major clans he was familiar with the size and strength of their shinobi. Due to the massive casualties three years ago the village was not prepared to face the military might of Kumo.

"You are probably thinking that this is a most inopportune time for a war."

"Hai, Kumo will greatly outnumber us."

The Hokage nodded. "Yes but we have something they do not."

The clan head's brow furrowed.

"Kekkei Genkai." The Sandaime said softly.

The Uchiha's back straightened with pride. His clan's bloodline was the most powerful. The Uchiha were renowned for the strength of their dōjutsu.

"I am honored that you think so highly of my clan Hokage-sama but even with it, it will be a difficult road. And we have our duties as the Military Police to keep Konoha safe."

"The duties that have alienated much of my shinobi." The Hokage stated again in a soft tone.

And there it was. Fugaku knew the Hokage spoke the truth. Many shinobi hated being policed by the Uchiha. But it was the symbol of the Uchiha's clan pride. They had been honored by the Nidaime with this duty.

Sarutobi continued, "You have heard the rumors. The village has turned against your clan. I am ashamed to say this since your clan was one of the founders that created this very village. But it does not have to be this way. Yesterday a Kumo shinobi attempted to kidnap the Hyūga heir. When the assailant was killed the Raikage demanded that I execute Hiashi and give them his body. They want this village's dōjutsu. Do you think they will be satisfied with just the Byakugan when the Sharingan also exists? Stand with the Hyūga, announce to the village that you will make the Raikage pay for its crimes against your brother clan and your reputation will be repaired."

Fugaku was taken aback. The Hyūga and the Uchiha had been long standing rivals. Each was prideful of their unique dōjutsu. If war was coming, keeping the Uchiha in the village while the other clans marched to war would further build the distrust that was currently so prevalent.

He looked into the Sandaime's eyes. The man had been a Kami on the battlefield. But since the Yondaime's death the man had seemed bowed by the tragedies. Today however, the man's eyes were full of fire and his visage full of confidence. This was the Shinobi no Kami and he was putting his faith in his clan's dōjutsu to help him bring those Kumo dogs to heel.

A powerful spring of confidence began to well in Fugaku's chest. They would win this war and bring glory to the Uchiha. They would restore their place in the village; they would regain the respect of the people and once more be hailed as the most powerful clan in the Elemental Nations.

The two continued their talk for almost an hour. Fugaku would announce the disbandment of the Military Police and their backing of the Hyūga. The announcement would wait a short while as they continued to mislead Kumo and buy time for Sarutobi to put the additional elements of his plan together.

 *****BREAK*****

Hiruzen was glad that his meeting with Fugaku had gone well. His next meeting promised to be even easier. The Inuzuka were fanatically loyal to the village.

He greeted Inuzuka Tsume the clan leader. The dogs had announced his arrival even before he was within eyesight of the clan boundaries.

Tsume and her partner Kuromaru met him at the gates. The Inuzuka did not stand on formality, something which Hiruzen was quite grateful for. Dealing with clans such as the Uchiha and Hyūga made this visit quite pleasant in comparison.

"Hokage-sama what brings you here?" Tsume asked with little fanfare.

"I require the aid of your clan's unique abilities."

She bowed, "We are here to serve."

"The task is critical. Find my wayward student Senju Tsunade. She was last seen in the southern part of Hi no Kuni."

"Consider it done. When I reach her what do you want me to do?"

The Hokage smiled. "Nothing. Before you go you will be marked with a fuinjutsu seal that will allow me to travel to you instantly. You have five days to track her. Then I will be transported to you and I will deal with her myself. Do not approach her until then."

A feral grin spread across Tsume's features. "You've mastered the Hiraishin?"

"Sadly no, that remains beyond my grasp. However a modified version exists that the Yondaime passed on to his honor guard. They can transport someone to whoever bears the formula. I will speak with Tsunade myself and convince her to return."

The Inuzuka matriarch let her grin slip a bit. It was clearly a critical mission for the Hokage to personally have come to her home to ask her this but it promised to be rather dull. Part of the enjoyment of the hunt was the finale.

"I will assemble a team and leave within the hour."

"Your loyalty as always is extremely valued. I will be informing the other clan heads shortly but I will tell you now. We are going to war with Kumogakure. Your clan will serve an important role in the upcoming conflict."

Tsume was no stranger to war and she knew the terrible costs. But even so she felt excitement rush through her veins. She lived for the hunt, the thrill of the fight and the battle for dominance with the enemy. She would protect the greater pack that was Konoha by throwing herself into the teeth of the fight.

She thanked the Hokage and whistled loudly. Before the rapturous joy of combat could occur she must first complete her duty and find the last of the Senju.

 *****BREAK*****

The Raikage growled at the missive in front of him. The Hokage was playing games and he didn't like it.

He threw the scroll on the table. His advisors looked at it and began discussing the request. Naturally it would be refused. They wanted Hiashi dead and his Byakugan, the important part was the Byakugan. It wasn't as good as having the girl who could have been used as a broodmare but it would still give a pair of shinobi access to a powerful dōjutsu.

His advisors were a bit on the young side. The cold calm and collected Samui was only 17. And Darui was even younger at 14. Darui though had been personally trained by his father than Sandaime Raikage and wielded one of the few Kekkei Genkai the village held. **Ranton** (Storm Release) was the combination of Suiton and Raiton and tremendously powerful. His new assistant Mabui was also only 17.

The only older individual was Yotsuki Tezuka, the head of one of the major Kumo clans, Yotsuki. He was a tall and thin man in his late 30s. The Raikage always thought the man could be broken in half by a stiff wind but his kenjutsu and genjutsu were legendary.

Samui looked through the scroll. "The Hokage's request appears reasonable in light of our demands but he has to know it won't be acceptable."

Tezuka agreed. "It seems like he is buying time. Perhaps the Hyūga are reluctant to agree to the terms. They have powerful allies with Fire Daimyo's court. He may need more time to strong arm them to giving up their clan head."

"Mabui draft up another letter, explain that we will not send more shinobi into the den where one of our own was so recently slain. Tell them that if they don't have Hiashi's body at the borders of Hi no Kuni within one week's time we'll go to war."

"Lord Raikage," Tezuka began.

"No I'll have no more of your concerns. Konoha is weak. They no longer have the Yondaime or the **Akai Chishio no Habanero** (Red Hot-Blooded Habanero). Their shinobi forces lost over a third of their actives to the kyūbi. They dare not refuse our demands!"

"Yes but Lord Raikage even so we need…"

The leader of Kumogakure slammed his fists on the table shattering it to kindle.

"I have spoken Tezuka. Send the letter Mabui, all of you leave!"

Outside of the Raikage's office the frustrated head of the Yotsuki approached Darui.

"Darui you have his ear, you must convince him to be reasonable. Yes we can defeat Konoha but it would weaken us. What if Kirigakure wished to renew the conflict while we embrace war with Konoha? They have little love for Konoha but less for us."

"I am sorry Tezuka-sama but it is unlikely to come to that. The Raikage is right. Konoha is weak right now and will capitulate. Sarutobi Hiruzen is well known for his desire for peace. He will not go to war over one man."

Tezuka would gain nothing further and turned away heading for his clan compound. The Raikage and Darui were probably right but that wasn't the point. War would be costly and the exclusive contracts his clan had with the merchants of Hi no Kuni would be meaningless. If war actually occurred his clan would suffer severe financial loss and that was unacceptable.

 *****BREAK*****

Raidō sighed. The Hokage was asking for miracles and unfortunately it didn't look he was going to be able to deliver. The only two who had gotten their modified Hiraishin down were Hatake Kakashi and Nara Shikaku.

'Figures the geniuses would be able to do it.'

Gai was struggling. The man had the will to succeed but he had neglected ninjutsu and the lack of practice made learning this technique incredibly difficult. Ebisu, Inoichi and Chōza were also having trouble. They would probably be able to learn it eventually but not on the time table that the Hokage wanted them to.

The jutsu wasn't easy. The amount of chakra required caused complications as well. Practicing the jutsu was difficult since you could exhaust your chakra coils quite quickly. It made what the Yondaime did to Iwa so much more impressive. Their version was still freakishly complex even with the chakra divided by three individuals.

He didn't look forward to report to the Hokage. Maybe he could sucker Genma into doing it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud proclamation.

"YOSH! This time I will get it. And if I cannot get it on my next attempt I will run around Konoha five hundred times, and if…"

Genma, who had been helping Gai, had his eye twitch in frustration.

"We don't have time for you to run 500 laps Gai! Shut up and focus!"

On second thought, maybe Genma had suffered enough.

 *****BREAK*****

Danzō left the Hokage's office impressed with what he liked to call the new Hiruzen. His old teammate was finally making hard choices and willing to get his hands dirty. Metaphorically of course since it was ROOT who would be doing the dirty work.

His orders were to have his ROOT agents infiltrate into **Yu no Kuni** (Land of Hot Water) **Shimo no Kuni** (Land of Frost) and target any Kumogakure genin teams. The targets were primarily the jōnin sensei of each team but he had been given the green light to kill the genin as well.

ROOT had the secondary task of finding and eliminating any spies that Kumo may have in Hi no Kuni. That would be difficult at times and he was sure to run into false positives. Of course if many of those false positives ended up as tools for ROOT instead of being left in unmarked graves, well Hiruzen would never be able to prove it.

Disappointedly the Uchiha clan was going to have a revival of their reputation. That was years of hard work wasted. They were a threat to the village itself. Their patriarch had betrayed the village and the power of those eyes needed to be his, not possibly resting within the skull of a potential traitor.

On the upside they were going to be on the frontlines and that would mean much of that brood may end up dead. There would be many opportunities for their eyes to fall into his agent's hands.

'Every setback can be turned into an advantage. Whatever it takes I will ensure Konoha remains strong.'

 *****BREAK*****

Jiraiya looked at the scroll with the black ribbon on it. He had picked it up at one of the many drop points that he had given Hiruzen. No doubt some ANBU had trekked all the way out here just to drop off something he had no idea of the reason for it. The scroll was blank meaning no one could decipher its meaning since the entire message was the ribbon itself.

A black ribbon meant that Jiraiya needed to return to Konoha as soon as possible. His heart lurched. Was there something wrong with Naruto's seal? Had someone important died? Normally when he received news he didn't like he would grumble about missing out research but that black ribbon meant that it was no time for jokes. He needed to return to the village as soon as possible.

 *****BREAK*****

Hiruzen slid to the right allowing Enma's fist to sail past him. He countered with a furry of kicks which his personal summon blocked. Seeing as the kicks weren't pushing past his defense he went low and swept the legs out from under his summon. Enma landed on his hands and kicked out toward Hiruzen who in turn grabbed him by the ankle and threw him across the training ground.

Enma rolled and came up in a guard stance.

"I haven't seen you this lively in awhile Sarutobi."

Hiruzen knew what Enma was talking about. The last serious fight he had was with Orochimaru and his heart wasn't in it. Now knowing that he would be defending his village from Kumo predations had ignited his warrior sprit once more. He would take the fight to the enemy this time.

The Kage and the powerful summon clashed again and again, each time Hiruzen won the exchange in a new way.

After an hour he bade Enma to transform into his Adamantine Staff form. Enma leapt into his hands as a staff and the Sandaime used Kage Bunshin to create a trio of clones.

The clones circled the original and the fight continued. They sent barrages of shuriken, a host of Katon and Doton jutsu but each time the original blocked, countered and repelled the attacks. While he was one of the rare shinobi to master all five nature transformations for ninjutsu he had a preference for Katon and Doton.

All too soon his training was done. He could have gone on longer however there were other urgent matters he needed to attend to personally.

'I'll need to work on my Futon before clashing with Kumo. They have a definite preference for their Raiton jutsu.'

Enma transformed back into his normal form.

"Do you think you can win this war personally? Kumo stands taller at the moment."

Hiruzen smiled at his long time companion.

"I cannot win it all personally but I intend for them to learn why I earned the title of Shinobi no Kami."

 **AN:** And the second chapter is done! Let me know what you think. For those following my other stories my next chapter in Nine Tailed Possession will be up in the next couple of days and then I'll work on doing justice to the climatic finish of Genius Sensei.


	3. Chapter 3: Declaration

**AN:** Having a hard time trying to write the end of Genius Sensei… so I decided to put up another chapter of this story. I hope everyone enjoys!

 **Chapter 3:** Declaration

The Hokage met with nine individuals tasked with either teaching or learning the modified Hiraishin.

"Only two have managed to learn. This is a setback but not an insurmountable one."

Gai bowed his head, shamed that he had not shown the progress needed.

"Please forgive me Hokage-sama it is my fault that I…"

Hiruzen waved away his statement.

"No Gai, you were selected for your loyalty not your ninjutsu ability. It will come in time." He looked at the others. "Kakashi and Shikaku you will remain here and continue teaching the others. Iwashi, Genma, Raidō. You will accompany me to the borders of Hi no Kuni with Hiashi Hyūga. There we will meet with the shinobi the Raikage have sent to collect Hiashi's body."

They were then dismissed and the Hokage turned to other preparations. It was unfortunate that one other team hadn't learned it but there were ways around it. He would meet Tsunade using a Kage Bunshin. They had tested it and the Kage Bunshin could survive the trip.

Timing would be key. It was probable that the Raikage would send some quality shinobi to safeguard Hiashi's body. They craved the Byakugan enough not to take chances. It would be his first taste of actual battle since the kyūbi attack three years ago. At the same moment he was dealing with them his declaration would be sent to every shinobi village across the Elemental Nations.

 _Konohagakure no Sato declares war on Kumogakure. Kumo has attacked under the banner of truce and targeted one of our most respected clans. Since they have chosen not to honor their status as guests we will treat with them in the same manner. No banner of peace, no request for parley and no negotiations will commence with Kumo. Unconditional surrender or the utter destruction of their village are the only options._

 _They have sowed the wind and will now reap the whirlwind. The Will of Fire burns brightly and will annihilate our enemies. Konohagakure needs no aid from our allies and friends, we alone will crush Kumo. All know me as one who has sought peace; I have no desire to turn this into the 4_ _th_ _Shinobi World War. However should any ally themselves with Kumo they will share its fate._

 _-Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage, Sensei to Densetsu no Sannin, Shinobi no Kami_

The contents had shocked his advisors. Some had argued that they should rally their allies to go to war with them. Others felt that the declaration gave them no room to compromise at a later date. He had heard all of their concerns and had told them to put their faith in their Hokage.

'They are not wrong but by announcing it in this manner it will cause the other villages to be wary. They will think we are moving with absolute confidence. That delay will allow us to gain the upper hand without additional interference.'

He knew it was a risk. If the war stalemated it would be disastrous. Iwagakure hated the village and would eagerly rekindle its alliance with Kumogakure. There was no love lost between Kirigakure and Kumogakure however Kiri was ever the land of sharks. If there was weakness in the waters they would prey on it gladly. Sunagakure was tentatively allied with them but that had only been an act of convenience to deal with the Iwa juggernaut.

Minato of course had castrated the Iwa offensive and humbled their military power in a single battle. The 'invincible' Iwa army had been shredded, not just by Minato's personal onslaught powered by the Hiraishin but also with his tactical brilliance. His legend ignored the hundreds of Konoha shinobi who had been with him when he made his legendary blitz across the battlefield and Hiruzen thought that a shame. Not because it diminished the efforts of the other shinobi but because it failed to give proper credit to Minato's leadership abilities. He was more than just a seemingly invincible warrior; he had been the inheritor of the Will of Fire and had used it to make everyone around him better.

Hiruzen pushed thoughts of the past away and focused on the task at hand. He had an invasion to plan.

 *****BREAK*****

Fugaku had another unexpected visit to his home. This time it was not the Hokage but Hyūga Hiashi and his brother Hizashi. Again the Uchiha pride was being catered too and while obvious the gesture was appreciated.

"I must admit this was a surprise."

Hiashi answered. "The Hokage saw fit to go to war for the sake of my clan; I could not deny his request to meet with you here."

Fugaku considered not only the words but also the tone. The Hyūga were no doubt uncomfortable with being asked to come here but there was no tension in their voice. They seemed to be content with returning the favor even though it meant placing the Uchiha clan above theirs.

"And what did Hokage-sama task you with that requires meeting me?"

Hizashi answered for his brother. "He wishes for us to integrate our shinobi teams to include as many squads with the Byakugan and the Sharingan as possible."

Each clan thought their dōjutsu was supreme but each knew that both Kekkei Genkai had weaknesses. The idea of a squad that combined both together would be formidable. The head of the Uchiha instantly saw the benefits both from in its battlefield applications as well as the political benefits. Sarutobi was attempting to unite the village in a way that had never been done before. Many within the clan would chafe at this but he would make them see benefit and show them the confidence he had in this.

"I see the wisdom in our leader's plan. Hizashi, I understand you will personally be a part of the fighting."

The younger twin brother nodded slowly.

"As a gesture of faith I will place my eldest in your squad. Though he is but a genin he has already activated the Sharingan."

Fugaku kept his expression smooth but was internally very satisfied that both of the stoic Hyūga brothers let surprise show on their expressions.

Itachi was a prodigy. His skills were already that of an experienced chūnin **.** The only thing holding him back was his size due to being only eight years old. However his shurikenjutsu and genjutsu abilities would make him a fantastic support shinobi. Hizashi was a taijutsu specialist and would keep Itachi safe.

The important part here was that the clan elders could not gainsay Fugaku if he volunteered his own son. They would fall in line and the Hokage's plan would work.

Hizashi bowed deeply. "Fugaku-sama I am humbled by your trust."

Hiashi was quite surprised and was looking at his rival in a new light. Whatever the Hokage had said to Fugaku had changed his temperament. It was further evidenced by what he said next.

"I hope you have appreciated the hospitality of my home. Give me a day to make a list of Uchiha who would be suited for this partnership and allow me the honor of visiting your home tomorrow."

Hiashi broke his famed Hyūga countenance a second time with a small smile. "Of course."

 *****BREAK*****

The Hokage travelled lightly toward the border of Hi no Kuni and Yu no Kuni. With him were Hyūga Hiashi and the Yondaime's former honor guard. The five of them burned chakra to make good time and were now but a day away from the rendezvous point where the Kumo delegation was expecting to pick up Hiashi's body.

It was time.

He formed a Kage Bunshin and Raidō, Genma and Iwashi linked around the clone. They concentrated as they harmonized their chakra and then a sharp pop could be heard as the clone transported itself to Inuzuka Tsume's location.

The clone appeared before Tsume.

"Were you successful?"

She nodded. "You picked a good time. She sleeps late so hasn't left her room yet."

The Hokage smiled. "Well done. Inuzuka-san, take your squad and travel north east to the border fort. Addition instructions will be provided then."

She bowed and whistled to signal her squad. And then she was off to her next mission.

Sarutobi walked toward his student's room. She wasn't going to be happy with him.

He was in formal Hokage robes when he knocked on their hotel door. Shizune was the one to open the door. She looked at him in complete surprise.

"H… Hokage-sama?"

"Ah Shizune-chan have you been keeping my student out of trouble?"

Shizune was eighteen and the kunoichi of the year when she had graduated seven years prior. She had been travelling with Tsunade for five years now and was no doubt a skilled practitioner in medical ninjutsu. Right now though she was quite tongue tied to be standing before the Hokage in a small town on the edge of Hi no Kuni.

"This is unexpected," she said after a long pause.

He gave her a genial smile. "Why don't I come in and have a seat while you go and fetch Tsunade?"

"Hai." She responded, bowed as she fled to the next room.

It wasn't long before Tsunade came out slightly bleary eyed.

"What do you want?"

"No small talk with your old sensei? Ah well so be it. We are going to war with Kumogakure and I need a world class medical specialist on the frontlines."

Tsunade stiffen. "You told me I could take as much time as I needed. I don't want to return to the village at all, let alone during a war!"

"I am not going back on my word to you but consider this. Remember when you fought for having a medical specialist on every squad? Why did you want this? You wanted it to save lives. You can save lives again."

"I can't even stand the sight of blood and you expect me to heal people injured from battle?"

"That can be remedied. The Yamanaka clan is well versed in curing phobias of all kinds."

Tsunade clenched her jaw. "I won't do it. I won't fight another war."

The Hokage sighed. "Tsunade, I need you. Your village needs you."

Tsunade shook her head. She couldn't return to the village that held so many painful memories. She had fought through too many battles already. She just wanted to be left alone.

The Hiruzen clone stood up. "Very well Tsunade, I won't make you go. But I will need a replacement for you." He turned to Shizune who was watching the conversation. "Shizune you are listed as a chūnin but I am certain that your apprenticeship with Tsunade your skills are more accurately that of a jōnin. You are herby ordered to return to Konohagakure within three days to join one of our combat specialist teams."

Tsunade broke in. "NO! You can't do this."

"Failure to do so will lead you to be branded as a missing nin with a bounty placed on your head."

Shizune gasped.

Tsunade pushed herself in front of her apprentice.

"No, you can't take her! I won't let you."

"She is a kunoichi of Konoha. I have given my word to you not to require you to return but that does not give you authority to take any other of my shinobi with you."

The last of the Senju stared down the Hokage.

Shizune placed a hand on Tsunade's shoulder.

"It is all right. I am a shinobi, this is my duty. Please… please take care of yourself shishou."

Tsunade looked at Shizune and then glared at the Hokage. She knew exactly what he was doing and the sickening thing was that it was going to work. The idea of Shizune, her last connection to Dan, dead on the frontlines of another war churned her stomach.

"Damn you. Fine I'll go but leave Shizune out of this."

"Very well. You will both be returning to Konoha. Shizune will run the hospital and will not join one of our combat teams. Instead you will Tsunade. After you are cleared for duty by the Yamanaka, of course."

Before Tsunade or Shizune could say another word the clone dissipated.

 *****BREAK*****

Hiruzen was satisfied with the results of his clone's visit. He had hoped not to use Shizune that way but Tsunade had left him no choice. They were arriving at the border.

"When battle begins do not involve yourselves. Retreat back and defend only."

Hiashi wanted to protest but a look silenced him.

As they crossed the border they saw the Kumogakure delegation ahead. Hiruzen did not have an inborn gift of being a sensor shinobi however his long life filled with battle and experience had given him sensor like abilities. There were four teams ahead. He sensed four jōnin level shinobi and twelve chūnin **.** This had to do with chakra and not necessarily skill however given that there were exactly sixteen shinobi it was the most likely configuration of one jōnin and three chūnin per squad.

As they neared the Kumo shinobi stirred. They were confused, their mission was to take a body and escort it back to their village. Why was the Hokage appearing before them? The leader looked wary as the five shinobi of Konoha approached.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Hiruzen puffed on his pipe. "You are here to take Hyūga Hiashi's body, yes? Well I've delivered him here."

The jōnin looked even more concerned. "He's still alive! What is this?"

Hiruzen focused on his senses and knew that this was all Kumo had brought. He could sense other shinobi watching from the distance with Yugakure headbands.

'Perfect, a neutral audience is needed.'

"Hmm please illuminate me. It is my understanding that your Raikage sent your 'head ninja' under a false banner of peace to kidnap this man's daughter. When he did what any father would do and kill the cowardly excuse for a shinobi your village leader protests and demands his head? And you expected that I should comply?"

The entire situation was completely unforeseen and as the jōnin tried to figure out what he was supposed to do Hiruzen acted.

A massive wave of killing intent roared out from the Hokage. Fear gripped them as the Sandaime blazed forward with a speed that could barely be followed. He struck one of the chūnin with a merciless palm strike to the stomach and then threw her into the arms of her comrade. The man known as the Professor had read the body language and knew they cared for each other as soon as they had come within sight. Instead of dodging the human projectile he caught her. The two met their demise in a fiery explosion as Hiruzen triggered the overcharged explosive seal that he had attached to her with his initial strike.

He threw a single shuriken and instantly used **Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique). That single shuriken multiplied into a thousand and rained down on the enemy. Two more chūnin were killed outright in the barrage while another three were injured to varying degrees. The lead jōnin let out a battle cry as he drew his katana and charged the Hokage.

Hiruzen was already in motion and had used Kawarimi to displace himself next to one of the other jōnin. The man had quick reflexes and slashed out with his kunai as Sarutobi appeared. His attacked was stopped cold as the living legend caught his arm and twisted it sharply, breaking it. The Hokage used his other hand to smash his own kunai right through the heart.

Next he used a Shunshin to appear in front of one of the shinobi attempting to flee the terror caused by his killing intent. A quick grasp of the head and a sharp twist broke his neck. Hiruzen flashed through the hand seals and unleashed **Futon: Daitoppa** (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough). The powerful wind pushed the enemy back. The jutsu by itself wasn't a lethal attack. It wasn't lethal until he used a single hand seal to use **Katon: Gōenka** (Fire Release: Great Flame Flower). A dozen fireballs exploded into the existing Futon jutsu and tripled in size as they bombarded the enemy. The sudden ferocity of the attack incinerated several of the enemy. Some tried to get away with their own Kawarimi but the area was too large and they only managed to get incinerated at another spot.

Before the smoke even cleared, Hiruzen stormed into the flaming field finishing off the few who had survived. And then there was but one jōnin remaining who had managed to survive the attack by using his Doton affinity to raise a mud wall in the nick of time.

"Why?" He rasped, eyes leaking fluid from the choking smoke.

Hiruzen owed him no answer as he sped forward. The jōnin sped through the hand seals for a powerful Raiton jutsu however the Hokage's speed was simply too great. Before he could get to the last hand seal his chest was smashed in by a powerful punch.

There was one last task to complete on the battle field. He used a Shunshin and his own natural speed to appear before the Yugakure shinobi. They were justifiably frightened but he had not come to harm them.

"Tell your leaders Konoha has no quarrel with them. However if you attempt to bar our path toward Kumogakure…" He looked back at the destruction he had wrought on four elite squads. That spoke more loudly than any mere words.

 **AN:** A little short but I felt this was a natural stopping point. Next chapter we get to see how the other hidden villages view the Hokage's letter.


	4. Chapter 4: Reaction

**AN:** Thank you for all the reviews – they really do motivate me.

I'd also like to take a moment to recommend a couple of FANTASTIC fics that I devoured in just a couple of days.

"A Word full of Monsters" – Just absolutely hilarious with some really good realistic chakra explanations.

"Of the River and the Sea" – A little more serious and goes into some pretty grim subject matter but also has absolutely stop everything what you're doing and hold on to your sides humor.

I really can't recommend them highly enough, if you've never been a fan of OC main characters I'd really encourage you to give these two a try. You might think completely different about the sub genre afterwards.

 **Chapter 4:** Reaction

The Tsuchikage chuckled at the letter he had received from the Hokage.

'But is it all bluster or does he really have the power to crush Kumo?'

Ōnoki despised Konohagakure. The third shinobi war was to be the triumph of his reign. He had gathered together a seemingly invincible army. Normally shinobi forces didn't group up extensively simply because that made them vulnerable to large area effect jutsu. However Iwa had thought differently.

Ōnoki had developed the stratagem himself. The idea was to forge an invincible army that could march as one on any foe. Because of Iwa's affinity for Doton jutsu they could put up walls of mud, domes of earth and be protected from large scale jutsu. The only element they would be weak against was Raiton who could pierce such defenses. But Ōnoki had allied with the Raikage at that time making that one weakness not a factor. Sure others had Raiton jutsu but it was much rarer outside of Kaminari no Kuni.

Early on it had worked. It had worked brilliantly. Their numbers were the difference in many battles and when an enemy village gathered a similar sized army they were torn apart by Iwa's large scale battle jutsu.

Granted, their enemies weren't completely helpless. They destroyed supply lines and bridges that prevented the massive concentration of shinobi to be well stocked with the tools needed for war. It had slowed their advance but had not stopped it.

Until that man. The accursed Yondaime Hokage. He practically single handedly destroyed the army. His jutsu had sowed chaos and terror and their lines had broken. With it broken the defensive jutsu that prevented wholesale slaughter wasn't used and the Konoha army a tenth of its size had utterly decimated his pride and joy.

Ōnoki despised Konohagakure. But the author of his village's downfall was dead. And as a crotchety old man himself he halfway wanted old Sarutobi to slap down the arrogant young Raikage.

'Young shinobi these days have no respect for their elders.'

He knew his council would be annoyed and his old nickname of 'fence sitter' would resurface. But for now he would watch and wait and see what power the Hokage had. In the meantime his village shinobi would be able to take more lucrative contracts while the Konoha and Kumo shinobi focused on killing each other.

 *****BREAK*****

The Kazekage frowned as he looked at the Hokage's letter. His village was in a precarious state. Their chief weapon and military deterrent was sealed in his very young child. If war was to break out and Konohagakure demand their assistance they would be placed in an untenable position. Would they dishonor their word and break the alliance or jump into a losing war? Iwa had two tailed beasts under their command as did Kumo. Kirigakure had one as well. The only two major villages without an active jinchūriki of combat age were their two villages.

'What secret weapon do you possess Hiruzen?'

The Hokage had not asked for assistance so none was expected and Rasa had no desire to enter into another war so swiftly after the last. They needed time to train their weapon before such a thing was feasible.

If Kumogakure made arrangements with Kirigakure or Iwagakure it would become very messy and in that event Rasa could see no positive outcome for Konoha.

'You had better know what you are doing Hokage!'

 *****BREAK*****

The Raikage was quivering with rage. Literally quivering. Twenty of his shinobi were massacred by the doddering old fool! Didn't he realize that his village's military had no ability to fight against him?

The room was quiet, waiting for the inevitable explosion. The Raikage was prone to destroying furniture when he was mad but this was beyond simple anger. There was a fury in his eyes that few had seen in the room. Darui was the only one. He had been with him when he learned of his father's death at the hands of an army of enemy shinobi.

And since he had seen it before, he was the only one who wasn't surprised when the Raikage calmly asked about the disposition of his shinobi forces. Mabui had to still a tremble in her hand before speaking but her voice was calm and even.

Every shinobi village had two sorts of shinobi in their ranks. There were those who actively took missions and those who served in a support capacity. It wasn't that the support personal weren't competent fighters. They were typically just specialists in their craft.

Many were medical nin specialists that served to heal and care of both shinobi and civilians in the village. Others were instructors and teachers who helped prepare the pre-genin candidates for the rigors of shinobi life. Some were intelligence analysts, interrogators and administrative support. A few were part of the clan hierarchy and operated their clan's business matters and political intrigues. And finally there were the retired shinobi who in time of need would defend their village but were unlikely to go out on an offensive march.

The active component of the shinobi corps typically represented slightly less than half of the overall shinobi. And more often than not a very large percentage of them were away from the village competing missions and bringing in revenue. Some missions only took them away for the villages for a few days while others took them to the other ends of the Elemental Nations. Some even involved intelligence gathering that lasted years.

Mabui had all of that information at her fingertips.

"Eighty percent of the active shinobi force is currently on missions. We can bring a little over half of them back within three weeks without angering any important clients." She paused. "However we have recently had a few teams not report in. At first it seemed coincidental but with the letter from the Hokage they may be being targeted."

The Raikage's rage burned in his eyes but his overly muscled body remained still.

Anger was present in the room but another emotion was affecting Samui. Her little brother Atusi was only eight but due to him being a prodigy in Katon ninjutsu he was already a genin. His team was currently on deployment to Ta no Kuni on an escort mission. Was her little nee-san one of the teams who hadn't reported in?

Tezuka wasn't angry at the loss of the shinobi he was angry at his dreams being shredded to pieces. His exclusive trade contracts with the merchants of Hi no Kuni were now worthless. Completely worthless all because the Raikage wanted the Byakugan and the Hokage had gone senile. Not once did he doubt that Kumo could crush Konoha. He was a man of numbers and facts and Kumo simply had more shinobi than Konoha. While it was true they lacked the varied bloodline abilities that Konoha could boast they also had two powerful jinchūriki.

The Raikage spoke in short clipped tones. "Don't recall the shinobi to the village. Have them gather near the border of Shimo no Kuni. I am going to rip out the beating heart of the enemy. I want no delays. Three weeks and we march."

Darui bowed his head. "My apologies Raikage-sama but are you sure this is wise? Konoha has indicated they will attack us. Why should we give them the advantage of fighting on home ground? Let them come to us where we can destroy them."

The Raikage twitched. He didn't want a defensive war. He wanted to burn Konoha to the ground for this outrage.

Samui interjected as the Raikage considered Darui's suggestion. "Raikage-sama our shinobi are being killed while they are on missions. While our forces gather surely we can strike out at the infiltrators and reinforce the current missions our shinobi are on. The loss of face at suddenly failing so many missions can have long lasting consequences."

Another jōnin chimed in. "I agree we can't let our shinobi be assassinated."

The Raikage's eyes turned to Mabui. "Where are my shinobi going missing?"

Mabui scanned the report again and responded. "So far only in Shimo no Kuni and Yu no Kuni."

The leader of Kumo grunted. "So they haven't dared enter our land yet. Opportunistic vultures. Very well before we decide we need to invade or not we need to move now if we are to save those shinobi. Samui gather up to twenty available teams and seek out any of our forces out in missions in those lands. Move within the hour."

Samui thanked him profusely, bowed and hurried to leave. She was going to make sure her hot headed younger brother was going to come home safe.

The Raikage watched one of his best kunoichi leave and then gave another command. "And someone find Yugito Nii and my brother!"

 *****BREAK*****

The puppet Kage of Kirigakure considering the news he had received. War between Kumo and Konoha would do nothing to deter his plans. As per his master's instructions the cleansing of Kirigakure of all Kekkai Genkai was already beginning. Kirigakure would have its hands too full with that to think of joining a war outside its borders.

 *****BREAK*****

Tsume crossed over into Kaminari no Kuni. She had put her and her squad's Inuzuka reputation for endurance to the test. They had tree jumped through Hi no Kuni and then had pushed forward with a forced march through Yu no Kuni and the biting cold of Shimo no Kuni.

Her sharp sense of smell allowed them to avoid patrols and border garrisons. Some few shinobi had specific jutsu designed to eliminate scent however it wasn't terribly common. In addition if someone had that specific type of ninjutsu they would have to use it on the entire squad as well. Most who bothered learning were solitary infiltration specialists.

"Now we travel due east and head for the port city of Tahara."

One of the Inuzuka chūnin titled his head slightly to the side. "To what end? Are we spying?"

Tsume showed her teeth. "Hokage-sama didn't say but I have a feeling we'll be invading."

Normally that would be absurd. Tahara was the largest trading port city in Kaminari no Kuni. It had at least 300 shinobi stationed there. They were there to deter pirate activity, any incursion from Kirigakure and of course deal with the smuggling of contraband. The seaport was critical for trade for the vast nation. Their land produced precious minerals, steel, ore and weaponry. However they produced little food, clothing or luxury items. Those wishing to trade with Kaminari no Kuni had to either enter this major seaport or cross the frigid Shimo no Kuni. A smaller port city on the northern side of Kaminari no Kuni was also an option but far fewer goods were transported across the northern body of water.

Taking the port city would cause untold damage to the economic stability of the land. But four shinobi and their canine partners weren't going to be able to take down a city all on their own. The squad found their leader's statement intriguing. They knew that they had seen the Hokage transported to their side out of thin air. Could an army be moved that way?

It was merely conjecture at this point and right now they had other things to worry about. They were good at what they did but now they were heading deep into enemy territory and one wrong move could get them all killed.

 *****BREAK***?**

Jiraiya had made good time considering the vast amount of distance he had needed to travel. The master spy knew instantly something major had happened. The patrols were completely different than normal.

'Wait is that an Uchiha and a Hyūga on patrol together?'

The thought was absurd but there it was before his eyes.

'I leave for a few months and the hells have frozen over.'

The legendary Sanin soon realized that he would not be able to infiltrate into the village like he normally did. No matter how much he suppressed his chakra, active patrols of Sharingan and Byakugan would find him. If he thought there was time and was in the mood for a challenge he probably could still complete the infiltration.

'It would require a little cheating with fuinjutsu.'

But that black ribbon meant it was vital to see the Hokage. He revealed himself and gave the proper codes and was soon racing toward the Hokage Tower. Everywhere he went he saw the village in motion. The training grounds were full of shinobi. The merchants were piling goods and gear into wagons. The metal smiths were working overtime to produce kunai and other shinobi gear.

'Has someone declared war on us?'

He hoped not. The last thing he wanted to experience was another war.

 *****BREAK*****

Jiraiya arrived and was shown through to the Hokage.

"Jiraiya I'm glad you arrived in time."

"Is Naruto all right?" Those were the first words out of his mouth.

The Sandaime nodded. "Naruto is just fine though it wouldn't hurt if you checked his seal."

Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief. "All right if it isn't about Naruto what is going on? It looks like we are preparing for a war out there. I've heard nothing about any rumblings from my agents." Which was true since in his haste he hadn't bothered to slow down and make contact with any part of his network.

Hiruzen stood up from behind his desk and paced over to the window. The window was a security risk that his ANBU guards were constantly requesting to be replaced with stone but he had never allowed them to do so. He enjoyed watching over the village without the use of his jutsu.

"We are at war with Kumogakure. Let me start from the beginning…"

As the Hokage spoke Jiraiya's face grew more and more closed. He had to bite his tongue as he waited for his sensei to finish.

"Are you insane? How did Danzō talk you into this?"

He chuckled. "Danzō actually attempted to stand in my way. He would have preferred to sacrifice Hiashi. I did this over his objections."

"I don't understand. How could you drag us into war like this?"

"You would have preferred that I sacrifice Hiashi?"

Jiraiya growled. "No. But there had to be another way, war cannot be the answer."

"I'm sorry but there is isn't another. Kumogakure felt as if they had the advantage and they would use it to gain even more strength. If we refused the request they would have attacked us. They would have probably tried to bring Iwa into it and Suna is an unreliable ally. This way I have hopefully sidelined Iwa for the moment and have the advantage."

Jiraiya grabbed one of the copies of the letter the Hokage had sent to all of the villages, major and minor, of the Elemental Villages. He crumbled it in his hands and threw it back down.

"But this goes too far! You've guaranteed a bloodbath. We could have fought a few battles and then gone back to peace. Instead you plan on wiping out an entire hidden village! And if the battle turns on us we will be destroyed. Why are you taking such a harsh stance?"

"Because for four decades I have walked the path of peace and our village has suffered for it. The vultures and jackals have hounded Konohagakure ever since the Shodai handed on the bijū."

"So you're giving up?"

The Hokage shook his head sternly. "No I am not. But my methods have changed. I still strive for peace, merely in a different way. I hesitate to call it a better way but I believe it will be a more effective way."

Jiraiya knew where the conversation was headed. He and his sensei had discussed the most effective ways to bring about peace many times. Jiraiya put his faith in the hope of rival nations to understand one another. His dream could be a reality; the world just needed a proper catalyst. That catalyst he fervently believed would be the child of prophecy that the toads had foretold. He had hoped it would have been Minato but despite his loss he had not given up hope.

"So you wish to pursue **Heiwa Surū Kengen** (Peace through Power) and attempt to rule the Elemental Nations?" Jiraiya's voice held deep disappointment.

The Hokage glanced at his student wryly. "I am no tyrant but we can get deter the other villages from beginning another war by becoming so fearsome to them that they dare not risk it. When it becomes clear we have no further intention to conquer our neighbors and that attacking us will be suicide a pause in conflict will occur. This lengthy pause will create an atmosphere where understanding is possible. The world is too distrustful at this point to look at the open hand of friendship without seeing a knife in the back. It is the height of folly to keep taking the same actions and hoping for another outcome."

The Sanin wasn't happy but had no contention that would change his sensei's course of action. Given the pieces in play it was simply too late to even try to resolve things peacefully. The gauntlet had been thrown and to attempt to retrieve it would invite the feeding frenzy.

He blew out a heavy sigh. "What do you need me to do sensei?"

 *****BREAK*****

Hyūga Hizashi took a look at his new squad. The first drawn to his eye was Uchiha Itachi. The eight year old boy had a solemn expression. He was obedient, precise and diligent. It was uncomfortable to see someone so young move with such economy of motion.

Kitō was a medical ninjutsu specialist and ranked as a chūnin. Hizashi thought he was more at home in a hospital than on the battlefield. He was the second support specialist on the squad after Itachi. His role wasn't to get into the thick of battle but rather to preserve his team's life if they were to take an injury. Medical nin were precious and it was likely that he had only been assigned to the squad because of the important individuals on the team. He was nineteen and had not served on the frontlines of the third shinobi war.

To round out the team's offensive power a second jōnin was added to the group. Sarutobi Noritaka was a minor scion of the Sarutobi clan. He was related to the Hokage but quite distantly. He was a Katon specialist and was quite formidable with ninjutsu. He was in his late 30s and had a long history of successful low key missions. A cautious man by nature it seemed to Hizashi.

Hizashi was generally pleased with the team makeup. He had his **Jūken** (Gentle Fist) which made him better than nearly anyone else in taijutsu. Hiashi had a slight edge on him in their spars and he wouldn't want to take on someone like Jiraiya or Tsunade even if it was strictly in a taijutsu duel but beyond S ranked threats there was nearly no one who could match him in hand to hand combat. They had a genjutsu specialist with Itachi, a ninjutsu specialist for dealing with large enemy formations and they had a medical nin if things went south. With both the Sharingan and the Byakugan they functioned as a sensor unit as well.

The Hokage had given him a single week to turn his team into a fluid fighting machine. His situation was unique due to the names on his squad however all over Konoha other teams were being placed together. In as many as possible the Byakugan was paired with the Sharingan.

"I will spar with each one of you so that I can determine your abilities. While I am sparring with the one I want the others to observe and make note of our abilities. The skills of your teammates will be what brings you out of the battle field alive."

Hizashi could tell Kitō was nervous. Noritaka nodded, as an experienced shinobi dedicated to the Will of Fire he would of course be well versed in the importance of teamwork. The stoic young Uchiha heir merely inclined his head a fraction of an inch.

"You are up first Uchiha-san."

Itachi wordlessly faced off against the taijutsu master. His Sharingan activated and Hizashi activated his own Byakugan. Hizashi moved first gracefully gliding forward and lashing out with downward strike at his smaller opponent. Itachi stepped back smoothly and shuriken appeared in his hands. Five shuriken flared out. Hizashi had to halt his forward momentum to successfully block four of them and he tilted his head to the left to avoid the last.

Itachi had never stopped his backward retreat and was now fifteen feet away and flashed through the hand seals for a Kawarimi with grace and speed no eight year old should possess. The near perfect 360 degree vision of the Byakugan gave away Itachi's location instantly. He was on tree branch behind him.

'He's faster with that jutsu than any genin has a right to be.'

More shuriken were sent spiraling all around Hizashi. All of them had ninja wire attached to them. Hizashi was curious about the boy's ploy but acted like a real enemy combatant and raced toward Itachi's position. Itachi may be blindingly fast with hand seals and quite the speed demon for a genin but Hizashi had him beat in terms of pure speed. As he raced up the tree he saw Itachi pull on the wire bringing the shuriken back toward his exposed backside.

Hizashi was going to make it to Itachi before the shuriken could span the distance. Since the Byakugan could see chakra he saw instantly the thin thread of chakra that was being gently pushed into his nervous system. Were it not for his clan's dōjutsu he would have been caught in the trap and never have been aware. But since he did have his Byakugan activated he was easily able to see the last second dropped explosive tag instantly prior to the Kawarimi Itachi used.

He ducked the shuriken and dived to the side and avoided the blast and oriented on Itachi again who was already sending out spinning death toward him. This time it was a dozen shuriken being thrown out every second, Itachi's hands were a literal blur. Not all the shuriken were aimed at him however several went high and wide. Hizashi blocked the ranged assault easily enough until Itachi mixed in some kunai launched in the air to hit his own thrown shuriken at precisely the right angle. Suddenly shuriken were reaching his position from behind, above and from the side. Some of the shuriken had hit other shuriken after hitting the kunai to further confuse the situation.

'Amazing. How could he calculate all of those trajectories? The Sharingan can easily see the flight path of any projectile, even a swarm of them, but to then calculate the precise angle needed to strike the object… Incredible.'

Hizashi dived to the side hands and feet moving in multiple directions deflecting the mass of shuriken. The attack had been well planned and executed but he had his speed and the Byakugan to come out of the storm unscathed. A quick glance over Itachi revealed that he was out of projectiles.

He took to the offense again and this time Itachi raced toward him. Hizashi struck again with a **Jūken** (Gentle Fist) strike toward the shoulder. Itachi leaned away from the blow and struck out with his own fist. Hizashi smoothly parried and froze a tenketsu point in Itachi's arm. From there Hizashi's superior reach, skill and taijutsu style overpowered Itachi.

He refrained from closing too many of Itachi's tenketsu points and helped the lad up after he called the spar complete.

"You did well. Why did you attack at the end?"

Itachi deactivated his Sharingan. "I had no means of winning the fight. While I could have continued to dodge it would not have been instructive to the rest of the team."

There wasn't much he could say to that so Hizashi simply nodded and indicated that it was Kitō's turn. The medical nin was a bit stiff. The bout started and Kitō created chakra scalpels and faced off with Hizashi. The fight was over within seconds.

"Have another plan other than your chakra scalpels. We don't want you in direct combat but you can still support the rest of the team in another way."

Kitō looked down slightly shamed. "I don't have many other abilities. All I've ever wanted to do was heal people. I know basic taijutsu but I'm rubbish with thrown weapons and other types of ninjutsu."

Over specialization was a definite problem with shinobi. As a member of the Hyūga clan it would be rather hypocritical to throw stones. His clan did over specialize in taijutsu. The only reason it hadn't proved to be a disaster was due to the power of the Byakugan. It completely neutralized genjutsu, traps, ambushes and even allowed for rapid identification of ninjutsu used.

"Let me see you do a Kawarimi."

Kitō went through the hands seals at a decent speed but Itachi was far faster.

"Focus on improving your hand seals and chakra molding. You are still a valued member of the team but if I can't trust you to fight if pinned I'll need you to be able to escape and delay as much as possible."

Hizashi turned to Noritaka. Sparing with a ninjutsu specialist wasn't that easy. Not only was it difficult to make ninjutsu non-lethal (in particularly Katon) but it had a tendency to destroy the surrounding area.

"No elemental ninjutsu. I just want to see how your other skills fare and then we'll have you demonstrate your ninjutsu abilities afterwards."

The jōnin saw the wisdom of this and quickly took a storage scroll out and unsealed a tambō. The short staff was a decent weapon against a Hyūga. Since it had no chakra system there was nothing to disrupt. Sarutobi lasted longer than Kitō had but it was still a foregone conclusion. He did manage to bruise Hizashi's shoulder once so it wasn't a completely one sided rout.

Afterwards they went away from the tree line so that he could demonstrate his ninjutsu. Hizashi was suitably impressed both with the power of the man's Katon jutsu and with his stamina. The Sarutobi clan was also known for their higher than average chakra reserves and Noritaka was no exception.

Yes it was a good team and Hizashi was determined that all of them would make it back alive.

 *****BREAK*****

The Sandaime had worked almost non-stop after his encounter with the Kumogakure shinobi delegation. Immediately afterwards he had been teleported back to Konoha with the modified Hiraishin. There didn't seem enough time in the day to handle the normal duties of the Hokage let alone planning an invasion.

But he bent himself to the task. His heart was uplifted when both of his students had arrived back into the village. Jiraiya had not been happy with what was required of him but he was loyal to the village and to his sensei. Tsunade was already undergoing therapy with the Yamanaka clan. It was rough going however his student was no longer trembling at the sight of blood.

'She'll probably never forgive me though.'

He could live with that. Just like he had to live with so many other difficult decisions. The Yamanakas didn't want her in combat just yet but that was fine. She could also operate as an efficient chakra battery.

Normally individuals couldn't replenish chakra to their comrades very effectively. Either the chakra was too dissimilar and the body would reject it or there simply wasn't enough chakra to give. Those with larger chakra reserves tended to have poor control and were unsuited to push their chakra into someone else without causing damage. Those with the necessary exceptional chakra control likely had smaller than average chakra reserves meaning that even if they could successfully transplant chakra it wouldn't do much and was generally only used as a desperate attempt to stave off death from chakra exhaustion.

Tsunade however had immense chakra reserves, more than even he did now that he was past his prime. She had those gargantuan reserves and the perfect control to go along with it. This would allow her to recharge those using the modified Hiraishin and let them use the chakra intense technique over and over.

Inuzuka Tsume was going to be his wolfhound. She would locate herself precisely where he needed to strike and then the army could attack. Hiruzen of course had a number of backup plans. He had sent a large amount of his ANBU infiltration specialists into Kaminari no Kuni as well who would serve as additional backups.

One of his ANBU poked her head into the office. "Mitarashi Anko is demanding she see you. Shall we send her away?"

He frowned at his paperwork. "No, I can spare a few moments."

Anko stalked into the room and bowed her head quickly.

"Hokage-sama please allow me to fight!" She stated without preamble.

He wasn't surprised by her request. Likely she wanted to prove herself after Orochimaru's defection. In many ways he felt that he was responsible for the cloud of shame and distrust that hovered around the young kunoichi. Logic stated that even though she had been cleared it would be unwise to trust her in the upcoming conflict. There would be too many ways she could damage the war effort if was still her old sensei's cat's-paw.

Anko must have seen something in the Hokage's eyes.

"Please let me prove myself. Send me right into the thick of it. I can't stand everyone hating and distrusting me. Let me get the stink of treachery off of me! You won't regret it, I promise."

Logic was one thing. But instincts and the Will of Fire were another. Anko's eyes practically burned with it. He believed her. She was loyal.

Hiruzen picked up the team roster and identified the best fit. Well perhaps best wasn't the right word for it but it would be a good squad.

"Very well Mitarashi-san. I will put you on a frontline team. You will serve under Aburame Shibi. The other two members of your squad will be Uchiha Shisui and Hyūga Hoheto. A massive smile blossomed over the chūnin's face.

"You won't regret this Hokage-sama!"

As she left Sarutobi returned to his invasion plans. His first target was definitely going to be Tahara. From there it would be time for hard choices. And those choices would mean life and death for the carriers of the Will of Fire.

 **AN:** The largest chapter yet in the story! I'd like your feedback on a couple of items. Who should the story focal points be? I've already decided on a lot of screen time on Hiruzen (of course) and Hizashi's squad. Shibi's squad is interesting too since I love Anko and Shisui would be a fun character to explore. We also have the Ino-Shika-Cho group, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi/Gai/Ebisu, and the original Hokage guard platoon. I can't possibly spend a lot of time on *everyone* since that would make this fic last forever. So which groups do you want to see the most?

Also how old is Shisui? Can't seem to find an official age anywhere, he's described as a mentor, best friend and brother figure to Itachi so I assume the ages aren't too far apart. I'm thinking about making him 12 since he has a reputation before his death four years later. He had to have established himself at some point.

And finally please post any interesting OC character ideas for Kumogakure. Right now there is a generation of young shinobi who became legends (or were competent at least) in the Fourth Shinobi world war from Kumo. Who were the legends still alive from the third war? What skills did they possess? I may use one or two of the best ones so please send me your ideas!


	5. Chapter 5: Preparation

**Chapter 5**

 **AN:** Interesting to note I actually have very few OCs in the story so far. Only two folks aren't canon so far. Can you spot them?

 **Chapter 5:** Preparation

Genma and his squad had been kept busy. After they transported the Hokage back to Konoha they had to rendezvous with another ANBU squad and send them on their way before returning back to Konohagakure.

Since then it was a daily event to send various ANBU units into Kaminari no Kuni. In between that they were focused on getting Ebisu, Inoichi, Chōza and Gai up to speed on their jutsu. The next one to learn it was Inoichi. The Yamanaka wasn't considered a genius like his Nara teammate or Kakashi however he was highly intelligent and his chakra control was good thanks to his training required to learn his clan techniques.

He chewed on his senbon as he considered who would be next to master the technique. He had put money on Ebisu but Raidō thought it would be the Akimichi. With those two slots taken Iwashi had been stuck with Gai and had refused to add to the betting pool.

'Spoilsport.'

Perhaps they had been wrong about Gai he thought. He was practicing long after everyone else had slumped over in exhaustion. Even when his chakra was drained he would go over the hand seals without molding the chakra. One couldn't fault that level of dedication.

Time was almost up for the attack on Tahara to begin. The Hokage was pleased that three more had learned the modified Hiraishin; it had been the lynchpin of his plan. The day of the invasion was going to be an extremely exhausting one, even with Tsunade-sama giving them chakra but it would be much easier now that they had another squad that could use the technique.

 *****BREAK*****

Sarutobi Noritaka had spoken with Hizashi and requested that the team have dinner after training one day to get to know each other better. Unlike genin teams, seasoned shinobi thrown together for a mission didn't necessarily go through the normal introductory process. Talk of dreams, hobbies, dislikes and likes were a big deal for Noritaka though and Hizashi agreed to the request.

The four of them sat down at one of the more refined restaurants. Even though Hizashi was from the branch side of the Hyūga family he was still the twin brother of the clan head and was treated as nobility by the citizens of Konohagakure. They ordered their meal and Noritaka began.

"I know we normally don't this outside of genin teams but I want to know who is fighting by my side. I'd like everyone to share their likes, dislikes, hobbies and dreams of the future. Since I brought this on I'll go first unless anyone has any objections."

There were none and Noritaka smiled at his team. He had been on several teams and he knew just how well rounded this one was. The fact that there didn't seem to be any disruptive character flaws so far was even better.

"Hmm well as far as my hobbies they are cooking and training. I also appreciate my clan and enjoy hearing stories from the past. I like the village and what it represents." Everyone at the table knew that was the guiding philosophy of the Sarutobi clan, the Will of Fire. "I dislike recklessness and disorder. My dream for the future is to one day become an honored advisor to the Hokage. But only after a long career of active service!"

Hizashi was next, his expression the neutral and smooth Hyūga countenance. "My world is my family. I like my son Neji and regularly train him in the arts of my clan. I enjoy unlocking the secrets of the **Jūken** (Gentle Fist) through experimentation and training. I dislike cowards who attempt to abduct or harm children. My dream is to be able to repay the Hokage and the village for what they have done for me and my brother.

Kitō was next. The medical nin took a breath and started. "I like learning medical ninjutsu. I also like trying to find out why certain medical jutsu work. I want to research better ways to heal my comrades. I dislike people who give up on patients before trying everything they can. My dream for the future is to one day create a soldier pill that can heal wounds just by eating it." That was a tall order in the minds of his team but it would change the very face of shinobi warfare if it were possible.

Noritake laughed in a kindly fashion. "But if you did succeed then we wouldn't need you with on the field!"

Kitō shrugged. "That wouldn't be a bad thing, no offense intended."

Itachi felt kinship with Kitō. The man obviously wasn't looking forward to going to war. Kitō would do his duty as a shinobi of Konohagakure but he would have been much happier working at the hospital.

It was Itachi's turn and the other three were looking toward him.

"I like cabbage and trying new sweets. I enjoy playing with my little brother and protecting him. I dislike violence and war. My dream is to one day exist in a world at peace. If this cannot happen then I dream of always being able to protect my brother Sasuke."

Kitō smiled at the young Uchiha. It was a worthy dream.

Noritake took stock of the heir to one of the most powerful clans in Konoha. It was an odd dream for someone in his position but it was a good one. Old Hiruzen would be proud that there were others in the village who also dreamed of peace.

Hizashi could understand the desire to protect a sibling. He had been ready to sacrifice his own life for his brother. Admitting to dreams of peace on the eve of war was a bit odd however. He decided to press the boy to try to get a better read on him.

"You dream of peace but we march to war. Do you disagree with the Hokage's decision?"

The Uchiha's dark eyes gave no hint of surprise at the question.

"It is not my place to speak against Hokage-sama."

"An evasion. Speak plainly Itachi."

Itachi met Hizashi's gaze. "War should be a last resort. I do not know if that was truly the case. I am a shinobi of Konohagakure, regardless of my personal feelings on the matter I will serve my village and my family."

Noritake slapped him on the back which for once jostled Itachi out of his unruffled demeanor. "Well spoken. Let's not ask the eight year old matters of politics Hizashi-taichō."

Hizashi nodded. "You are correct of course. I sometimes forget young Itachi's age. You compose yourself far better than I did when I was eight."

Itachi bowed slightly at the compliment and they continued their meal. Noritake was the most talkative of the group. Hizashi and Itachi were both quiet by nature it seemed and Kitō seemed nervous dealing with the three important clan members. As a civilian his place in society was at a lower station, and even though none of them made him feel out of place it was long ingrained habit to allow his 'betters' to speak. This meant that soon the Sarutobi scion made up the bulk of the conversation.

They spent several hours at the establishment. Hizashi had been hesitant at first at the necessity of this but he was glad he had agreed. It was dark when they eventually broke apart and returned to their respective homes.

Hizashi made his way to the Hyūga estates and into his own home. As he entered in he looked down at the sleeping form of his four year old son. The boy was curled on the ground by the door. He had tried to stay awake to greet his father. Hizashi smiled down at his son. How he wished his wife could see how big their little baby had grown.

He gently shook young Neji awake.

"Father?"

"You should be in bed Neji-kun."

"I wanted to wait for you. You told me you'll be leaving tomorrow."

"I did and I am. But we will have time to talk in the morning."

Neji was only four but already he was learning the shinobi arts and how to compose himself as a Hyūga. But worry and sleep deprivation was cracking that mask.

"You'll come back, right?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"Of course Neji-kun I have with me a skilled medical nin one of the Hokage's relatives and the Uchiha heir. I will protect my team and my team will protect me."

He picked up his son and took him to his own bedroom.

He gently tucked in the covers. "Get some rest now Neji-kun. When I return I want to see how far my little genius has progressed."

Neji lips turned up ever so slightly. Being a prodigy meant that he had a lot of pressure on him. However that didn't bother him because he knew his father was proud of his accomplishments.

"Good night."

 *****BREAK*****

"I said no Jiraiya!"

"But Tsunade-hime, it is the eve of a battle; the gallant warrior should have one night of passion before…"

Tsunade growled, literally growled as she raised her fist. Jiraiya quickly put up his hands in a placating motion. When he saw that Tsunade was no longer advancing on him he put down his hands and grew a bit more serious.

"It has been almost two years since I've seen you. How have you been?"

"Better if I hadn't been dragged back to this hell hole."

"The village does need you. I'm glad you returned. You will save lives, for what it is worth I am proud of you."

"It wasn't by choice baka!"

Jiraiya looked at her in puzzlement for a moment. "Perhaps you've hit me in the once too often but I don't understand."

"I didn't have a choice. _Sensei_ ," she spat the honorific, "was demanding that Shizune return and go directly to the front lines. I could either see Shizune consumed by war like so many others; have her declared a missing nin or return. I didn't have a choice so save your pretty words."

Jiraiya was stunned. He couldn't believe the Hokage could do that to one of his cherished students. No, that wasn't true. He could do it because he was placing the village before his precious people. It seemed so strange that he would let Orochimaru go despite the risk to Konohagakure but now force his other students into roles they didn't desire for the sake of Konohagakure.

'Something changed. I don't know what but something has hardened his heart.'

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Leave me alone Jiraiya I don't want to deal with you right now."

Jiraiya simply nodded and left without another word. He knew Tsunade wasn't happy and was just lashing out but it didn't fully blunt the pain. It hurt despite the outward mien of confidence he displayed. It hurt because he loved her and always would.

 *****BREAK*****

Aburame Shibi had thoroughly examined the records of the three chūnin that were assigned to him. Hyūga Hoheto was a typical Hyūga in almost every way. He was a taijutsu specialist, was emotionally composed and very respectful. At twenty years old he was the second oldest on the squad and Shibi appreciated his steadfastness and reliability.

The same could not be said for the remainder of his team.

Uchiha Shisui was not a typical Uchiha. From a combat utility perspective he was quite skilled at genjutsu and had a strong Sharingan. A typical Uchiha was a specialist at using the perfect counter attack to an enemy action. Their Sharingan allowed them to predict the attack before it happened and was the basis for their taijutsu and kenjutsu styles. Shisui was far more adventurous.

He had mastered the **Shunshin no Jutsu** (Body Flicker Technique) to a remarkable degree. His speed with it was jōnin level. He didn't use the single tiger seal that was normally required by all but the most expert of chakra control specialists. It was a terrifying weapon in the right hands. The boy had also mastered Katon and Futon ninjutsu and was well on his way to developing an affinity for Raiton as well. He did not counter his opponent's attacks. Instead his preferred style was to strike first.

There were only two reasons that Shibi could see as to why the boy wasn't a full jōnin. The first was his age. The boy was a month shy of his twelfth birthday. While his ninjutsu and genjutsu were impressive his body wasn't fully matured and in a battle with a taijutsu expert he would be hard pressed to block without suffering significant damage.

The second problem was his attitude. He did not have the same outlook as much of his clan. He was not taciturn like many of the stately clan, nor did he place an emphasis on clan pride. He laughed easily, made humorous quips and generally displayed little ambition in leading others. In other words Shisui acted his age, were he a civilian.

'Prior mission reports do not indicate he was lackadaisical while performing his duty as a shinobi. However his general attitude would have soured his clan's view of his accomplishments leading to a delay in promotion. As long as his clashes with Mitarashi do not lead to a loss in team cohesion I see no harm in allowing him to express himself.'

If something brought an increase to one of his subordinate's mood state as long it was not accompanied with a potential negative why would he bother trying to change the behavior? Even if it was off-putting to the thoroughly Aburame like Shibi.

The final member of his team was Mitarashi Anko and she had instantly clashed with Shisui. Calling the boy a gaki and useless based on his age and size had provoked the good spirited Uchiha. Not that he had harmed her in anyway but the surprise Shunshin that ripped off her hitai-ate had both shocked and angered her. Shibi concluded that the ability for the younger shinobi to invade her personal space, an act that if he had wanted to could have led to a kunai through her throat had frightened and embarrassed her. Moreover since Anko was doubted by many in the village, the removal of the headband could be construed as a slight against her loyalty.

Based on the evaluations he had on Shisui it was unlikely that this was his intent and he rated the probability well below the one percent threshold. Anko however had erupted in rage leaking killing intent and went after Shisui. Shibi had to directly intercede in between the two before blood was shed.

The damage had been done and Shibi did not have the interpersonal expertise to resolve the issue. He debated about bringing in a Yamanaka however it seemed a minor trifle compared to the other tasks they had on their plate. It also sometimes caused friction within a team for the taichō to have felt it necessary to bring in an outsider of the team to assess and provide intervention. The Aburame found this counter intuitive since additional emotional stability and an outside objective mediator should only be a good thing. But counter intuitive or not it was a reality and Shibi prided himself on viewing the world as it is not as it should be.

On the morrow they would be transported a considerable distance and begin the first major attack of the war. It had been a light training day since they needed to be well rested.

"Gather your supplies and say your farewells. Be ready by noon."

 *****BREAK*****

The Nara lands held the most privacy thanks to the extensive deer preserve they kept on their property. Hiruzen had called the strike force together and the area had been blanketed with privacy seals. There were twelve four man squads. Those included teams led by Aburame Shibi, Hyūga Hizashi and several other elite jōnin. Barring young Itachi none of the individuals were below the rank of chūnin. There were also two three man squads. The original Hokage guard platoon and the team made up of Hatake Kakashi, Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku. The Hokage guard platoon would be the last group transported in and their role would not be a combat one however nothing was certain in warfare. Kakashi's team would be the only ones currently in the clearing who would not be travelling to Kaminari no Kuni.

In addition two of the Sannin were also in attendance. Jiraiya would be the first one through and he would infiltrate the city. Next would come all of the combat squads along with the Hokage. Tsunade would ensure those who used the three person Hiraishin had ample chakra to complete all of the transports. She would also be sent in and she would remain with Iwashi, Genma and Raidō.

The Sandaime went over the last few preparations. They could expect a force of about three hundred shinobi. Normally six to one odds were steep for an invasionary force. The fact that their Hokage and Jiraiya were part of the attack left them with no doubt of their eventual success. Some of the faces were grim since the plan would likely lead to considerable civilian casualties in Tahara. No one was happy about it but as shinobi they knew the price of war and all would prefer the loss of life to be with the people of Kaminari no Kuni than their own.

Jiraiya created his Kage Bunshin and it was sent across the Elemental Nations to Inuzuka Tsume's side. It took stock of its surroundings and then dissipated itself letting Jiraiya know that it was safe to be transported. The Sandaime removed his formal robes revealing the battle gear that was nearly as ancient as the village. It was time to take the war to Kumo.

 *****BREAK*****

Toroi of the **Jiton** (Magnet Release) gazed out over the sea. He had been the shinobi commander in charge of the port city throughout the third shinobi world war. On four separate occasions he had successfully led the defense of the city against an all out sea based assault from Kirigakure.

His broad face now held worry lines and the beginnings of wrinkles. For a shinobi he could be considered old. A few days ago he had turned forty six. Despite growing a little longer in the tooth his reputation still commanded the respect of the shinobi under him. One hundred and thirty two genin, one hundred and forty nine chūnin, and twenty fellow jōnin were under his command.

He had been quite surprised when the Hokage had declared war on his village. He was away from the Raikage's court so he didn't know all the details but ever since the Sandaime Raikage had died the young Kage had been obsessed with strengthening the village. That had backfired and now Konohagakure had declared war.

Before any orders could arrive, Toroi had sent a missive to the Raikage asking that his shinobi remain stationed in the city. Kirigakure wasn't part of this conflict but he would be damned if the garrison here was stripped bare and those pirates destroy his legacy. It was gratifying to get a response that all the current shinobi would remain stationed there for the time being. The scroll had also stated things could change but for now the garrison would remain as it.

Ironically even as Toroi was thinking about the defenses of his city, the attack began. The ground trembled and Toroi looked toward the docks where the sound had come from. Could some volatile mixture been mishandled by the dock workers? It had happened only once before and it had been quite the mess. Instead of a benign if deadly accident he saw the rusty red color of the head of the most famous toad summon. The chief of Myōboku had just been summoned within his city.

Color drained from Toroi's face. It could only mean Jiraiya of the Sannin was in the city. He cursed and began issuing out orders. Jiraiya was one of the most powerful shinobi in the world. There were less than forty S class shinobi in Elemental Nations. An S class shinobi meant you had the power of the Kage and each of the Densetsu no Sannin had power in spades.

He was no match for Jiraiya however even that legendary shinobi could be brought down by numbers. His subordinates wasted no time in alerting the city and shinobi from all around the port town would soon be converging on the docks.

"Have the jōnin gather around me. The genin will begin evacuating to the shelters and the chūnin will provide long range support. Have them target the legs of Gamabunta as a creature of that size will be most vulnerable there."

As he finished giving out orders, a massive gout of fire incinerated much of the docks as well as several of the ships. He looked on in horror at the size of the Katon jutsu. The precious dockyards of the city were going up in flame. It would take years to rebuild them and in the meantime trade throughout the land would suffer.

'Was that your plan? Destroy the docks and flee? I won't let you get away with this Jiraiya!'

As Toroi gathered the fellow Kumo shinobi around him new information came to light. Jiraiya was not here to do a quick hit and run attack to damage their trade. No, he was just one facet of the attack. Word had just reached him that dozens of Konoha shinobi were attacking the city on the opposite side.

Despite his many battlefield engagements he froze. How had a small army of shinobi infiltrated across Kaminari no Kuni? How was this possible? And what was he going to do?

 *****BREAK*****

Hizashi's squad was one of the first to strike into the port city. With his Byakugan he could see the amount of chakra his enemies had. Civilians were to be ignored unless they fought back. Instead his squad, along with most of the other squads was to strike out at any shinobi his kilometer wide gaze could find. Each of the assault squads had a Hyūga and an Uchiha per the Hokage's reordering of the shinobi teams.

The first group they encountered was a pair of chūnin guards at one of the main entrances to the city. The city itself did not have a defensive wall as a ground invasion was not a credible threat. Along with the chūnin were a number of officials and guards who would review trade manifests and charge the appropriate taxes.

The chūnin were both alert but that did not save them. Itachi placed a genjutsu on both of them while Noritaka struck them with **Katon: Karyū Endan** (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet). The dragon shaped flames would have generated a large enough explosion to kill both shinobi. One managed to break out of the genjutsu in time while the other didn't realize anything was wrong until the flames snuffed out his life.

The explosion was large enough to singe the chūnin who had hastily rolled away. Itachi's shuriken slashed toward him, all were on target but the Kumo shinobi managed to deflect several with his kunai and took damage from only two. One scraped across his cheek and the other buried itself in his leg. With those injuries it was almost pitifully easy for Hizashi to swoop in and finish him with a strike that collapsed his heart.

Civilians ran in multiple directions as more shinobi hit the city searching for more Kumo nin. Hizashi signaled his squad and they moved five hundred feet in before coming down on three genin who were trying to guide the civilians toward pre-planned areas to hide out from the battle. Itachi hesitated when he saw that the kunoichi who looked as if she hadn't reached puberty yet. Her two older teammates were in their teens. Hizashi carefully watched as an expression of profound despair flashed across Itachi's face before it was covered up with his typically stoic visage.

The genjutsu he used was more powerful then the last and the kunoichi and one of the genin never knew they were in trouble. The last genin was killed by Noritaka. It hadn't been worth the Katon jutsu and he had simply taken him down with a kunai up through the ribs and into the heart.

Hizashi didn't admonish the young Uchiha for the over use of chakra when it wasn't necessary. The tactic they had decided on was primarily the use of quick genjutsu not designed to last more than a second or two giving time to get in a killing strike. With the minimal chakra expenditure associated with low rank genjutsu there was a high probability that the victim would break out of it even before the kill stroke was delivered but with such a short window of time to orient back to reality it would still lead to a kill. Itachi had chosen a B rank genjutsu to ensure the kunoichi never realized she was about to die.

Despite his mask Itachi was a compassionate boy and Hizashi respected him all the more for it.

He signaled his squad again. A more coordinated squad was coming, all of them likely chūnin which would prove a bit more of a challenge. Thankfully none of them were as young as the squad they had just destroyed.

 *****BREAK*****

Anko was annoyed. There was fighting going on and she was stuck outside! The whole point of begging the Hokage to be part of the squads going to war was so that she could prove herself. And now she was stuck on this weird squad sitting on the sidelines.

And she did find them weird. Her taichō was an Aburame which meant bugs lived inside of him. Inside of him! He was also completely unreadable thanks to his get up which nearly completely hid his features. The Hyūga was a Hyūga which meant he was stuck up prick and Anko didn't care for him at all. And the last was the infuriating little shit Shisui.

She played with her kunai and sent a glare his way. Him ripping her hitai-ate off in their first encounter was humiliating. The kid was almost four years younger than she was! She took a calming breath since they did have a part to play in the conflict.

Her team was one of two who had been tasked to prepare ambushes outside of the city. There were a number of shinobi who did patrol the area and keep the roads a difficult target for bandits. With the amount of goods that travelled through Tahara if the Kumo shinobi grew lax the hills would be crawling with the scum. The explosion that had set fire to the docks could be heard for miles and it would likely draw shinobi back to the city. That was when her team could spring the ambush.

'Hopefully soon.' Anko thought darkly. She wanted in on this fight in the worst way.

 *****BREAK*****

Jiraiya actually didn't normally throw gigantic Katon jutsu around like it was nothing. Gamabunta however had produced quite a bit of flammable oil which had massively enhanced his jutsu. He grimly watched as merchants and sailors burned.

His role was to draw the most powerful shinobi defenders to him. He could hold his own in a fight but even he would be hard pressed to deal with multiple skilled jōnin. Jiraiya wasn't worried since he knew that he wasn't going to be alone. He had drawn the attention of the powerful to his location for a very important reason. His sensei Sarutobi Hiruzen had wanted them there so he could deal with them.

It had been decades since he and his sensei had infiltrated a location. (Jiraiya didn't count the time they fought with his treacherous teammate since that wasn't an infiltration, it had been more of a kick down the door and attack event.) He had to give the old man credit; he had lost none of his skill in the shinobi art of stealth.

Jiraiya smiled.

'Won't they be surprised when they learn they aren't just fighting me the gallant and legendary toad sage but also the Sandaime Hokage!'

 **AN:** Much of this chapter is fleshing out some of the other squads that will be focused on. Hiruzen gets a lot more screen time in the next chapter. Let me know what you think!


	6. Chapter 6: Battle

**AN:** Thank you for all the kind reviews. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story!

 **Chapter 6:** Battle

Hiruzen waited patiently under cover of his **Meisaigakure no Jutsu** (Hiding with Camouflage Technique). It was a jutsu that many Iwa shinobi favored during espionage missions. The technique modified how light passed through it effectively turning someone invisible. It also eliminated scent and damped their chakra signature. The jutsu would not last once battle began since the need to mold chakra and quick movements would cancel the effect however for now it made the Hokage as untraceable as a ghost.

It also provided him plenty of time to place a number of explosive tags all around the area. As Gamabunta was summoned and Jiraiya annihilated the docks the Hokage patiently waited until the Kumo shinobi arrived and began to engage Jiraiya and Gamabunta.

Gamabunta jumped high in the air as Jiraiya used his hair to launch attacks at the arriving shinobi. As more Kumo nin arrived Jiraiya dropped down to the ground and used **Doton: Yomi Numa** (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld). The ground turned into swamp and two shinobi were caught in it. They quickly tried to use Kawarimi but the special properties of the jutsu prevented it from working, they were well and truly stuck. What it also did was cordoned off part of the battlefield.

One of the Kumo shinobi threw a number of kunai at Jiraiya, some of which went deliberately wild. The metal glowed slightly after missing the Sannin. The enemy jōnin fired several more and the one's that had previously been fired and in the ground were yanked toward the newly thrown kunai.

'Magnetism, this must be the **Jiton** (Magnet Release).'

His current location wasn't ideal to strike at Toroi but he was confident his student could handle the attack. It was now time to reveal himself.

He dashed forward without making a sound and buried his kunai into the spine of a shinobi preparing to unleash a Raiton jutsu on Gamabunta. The motion and kill attracted notice. Sarutobi exploded into motion firing off several jutsu and attacks within seconds.

First he used Kage Bunshin in under half a second. Then he threw a shuriken which multiplied into hundreds and hundreds of shuriken using **Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique). His clone meanwhile used **Futon: Reppūshō** (Wind Relesae: Gale Palm) to double the speed of the thrown shuriken. Normally even a powerful throw of a shuriken can be dodged by most shinobi but with the unexpected added velocity several Kumo nin were caught completely off guard and were shredded by the high speed projectiles.

Before the shuriken had even struck the living legend was already moving to attack again. He moved fast and the distance between him and the enemy shinobi disappeared in a blink. His kunai slashed toward a jōnin's throat and only his quick reflexes with his tanto saved his life. Even so the blow pushed him back and away from the Hokage.

Sarutobi drew every eye to him as he unleashed his killing intent. His hands flashed through the hand seals for **Doton: Ganchūsō** (Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears) even as most were still stunned by his chakra presence. One unlucky shinobi was impaled while three others were moderately wounded by the attack. More importantly however was that nearly all of the shinobi in that area leapt into the air to avoid the wide area jutsu. The one Doton specialist who saw the attack stared wide eyed at the range it encompassed, normally the attack was a fifth the size.

Now in the air and vulnerable Hiruzen once more fired another set of jutsu. This time he used the Uchiha favorite **Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu** (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique). Only instead of just a massive fireball exploding out of his mouth, it became a firestorm when his clone used **Futon: Daitoppa** (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough). The massive firebomb incinerated huge swathes of the enemy. The jōnin who had managed to block his kunai strike used an adrenaline fueled Kawarimi to get away at the last second but even with his impressive speed he still took some nasty burns to his face and hands.

Despite the brutal onslaught the Kumo shinobi were not completely unable to counterattack. A barrage of projectiles was launched at the Hokage and a ball of electricity whizzed toward him. The **Shinobi no Kami** (God of Shinobi) was on the defensive but every defensive move he made was doubled as an attack. The kunai were kicked, slapped or knocked aside with his weapon or his hands and feet. Instead of merely deflecting them he actively redirected them at shinobi attempting to use their own jutsu. One genjutsu user had almost completed his string of hand seals when a kunai impaled itself in his throat.

The Raiton attack was dodged by the Hokage completing **Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu** (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique). He tunneled through the earth and ripped a shinobi into the ground. He gutted him before rising back up from the earth and triggering the explosive tags he had previously set around the buildings and streets leading up to the docks. Explosions rocked the area and line of sight was temporarily obscured by the thick smoke from collapsing buildings.

Hiruzen bit his thumb and completed the **Kuchiyose no Jutsu** (Summoning Technique) and brought forth the great Monkey King Enma. Enma roared and instantly pounced on an enemy shinobi through the dust and ash in the air. Hiruzen sensed chakra build up around Gamabunta as the huge summon used **Suiton: Teppōdama** (Water Release: Gunshot). From a human mouth it could shoot bullets that could pierce flesh from a toad many orders of magnitude larger it created a massive explosion of water as it splattered a kunoichi sending water and blood spraying in all directions.

As the smoke and dust cleared it revealed Hiruzen finishing **Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu** (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique). Normally the technique required forty four hand seals but for him it only required five. The dragon arced down and broke limbs as it roared through the enemy.

The shinobi of Kumo stood in awe and horror at the devastation around them. Gamabunta had taken a smattering of minor wounds. Jiraiya had a bloody knuckle and a scorch mark on his shoulder. Even Enma had gotten nicked. But Sarutobi Hiruzen stood untouched around the shattered and broken bodies of their comrades.

Toroi called for a retreat and Hiruzen dashed after the fleeing shinobi.

 *****BREAK*****

Anko grinned in delight as Hoheto signaled them to get ready. He held up for fingers and then completed the corresponding sign to indicate they were likely chūnin level. Even with the Byakugan being able to see the entire chakra network it didn't allow for someone to instantly know what rank someone was. A shinobi could have a massive chakra pool and still fight like a genin. However since it was the Byakugan it gave away more than just chakra. It also assessed how fluidly someone moved, their muscular structure and the types of weapons and tools at their disposal. Hoheto like all Hyūga had been trained in reading someone with the Byakugan to determine their level of skill. Mistakes could still happen but most of the time the assessments were correct.

The four of them waited silently for their prey to draw near. There were four shinobi. One of them was a kunoichi armed with a katana. Two others had the 'normal' shinobi gear of kunai, shuriken and soldier pills. The figure in the middle of their formation only had a pair of kunai but had several additional pouches which were filled with medical supplies.

As the shinobi walked past Shibi he gave the signal to strike. Anko lashed out with a pair of kunai while Shisui used his Shunshin to strike right into the enemy formation. Anko's kunai were deflected while Shisui's attack was halted right before it could slice into the enemy's throat. Shisui wasn't done however as his eyes locked onto the Kumo shinobi and instantly put him into a genjutsu using his Sharingan. With the enemy's guard lower he sliced again and ripped into the man's throat.

The katana wielding kunoichi lashed out at Shisui and the Uchiha was forced to dodge backward. The medical nin instantly dropped beside his fallen ally and green chakra pooled around his hands as he hoped to save his comrade's life. Anko and the Hyūga pushed forward into melee combat.

The kunoichi's kenjutsu was superb and her sweeping strikes forced Shisui and Hoheto back. Anko clashed with the final shinobi and made use of her **Hebi** (Snake) style of combat. Her opponent was clearly unfamiliar with the contortions her body could do and she had soon sliced her opponent several times in the ribs, the shoulder and the thigh. None was critical yet but she was enjoying herself immensely.

Shibi entered the fray by unleashing his swarm of kikaichū on the Kumo medical nin. Why? Because medical nin typically had less chakra reserves than the normal shinobi. The Aburame knew there was an inverse relationship between chakra control and chakra reserves and so he sent his allies toward the target that would take the least amount of time to drain.

The medical nin probably knew this as well but already hundreds of the bugs had swarmed over him and he hastily used a Kawarimi in an attempt to get rid of them. Unfortunately for him the kikaichū remained on him much like clothing doesn't disappear when someone uses the substitution jutsu. Shibi than calmly and professionally drove his kunai into the heart of the bleeding shinobi who had been partially healed.

Shisui dodged another sweep of the katana and rolled past the kunoichi and used a Shunshin to accelerate right behind Anko's opponent and drive his kunai into his spine. He gave Anko a wink which caused her face to twist in a most unhappy expression.

Shibi's swarm had finished their work and the medical nin fell unconscious from chakra exhaustion. The lone kunoichi was soon overwhelmed by the four Konoha shinobi and Anko reveled in her first victory of the war. Yes that little shit Shisui had ruined her kill but she knew it was a solid tactic to do what he had done and their taichō would back him completely if she raised an objection.

Aburame ordered Anko and Shisui to burn the bodies with their Katon jutsu, select another ambush spot and wait for more enemies.

 *****BREAK*****

Hizashi was pleased with his squad. After dealing with the three genin they had crushed the four chūnin with little difficulty. None of them had been able to stand before the terrifying powerful of his taijutsu, Noritaka's ninjutsu and Itachi's genjutsu. All three primary arts of shinobi warfare were on display and the battle had lasted less than a minute.

From there his Byakugan identified another Konoha team having trouble with a larger group of enemy shinobi and they had arrived like with the stunning impact of a meteor. Shuriken and Katon jutsu rained down on the shinobi and as they attempted to protect themselves from the onslaught Hizashi ripped into them. His Byakugan allowed him near 360 degree vision that had allowed him to avoid the whirling shuriken perfectly while dealing death.

His younger cousin gave him a nod in thanks. The team had bitten off more than they could chew and could have even lost the battle. Instead they ended up with only minor casualties and the Uchiha of their group suffering some nasty electrical burns from an enemy Raiton jutsu. He had paused and allowed Kitō time to heal the Uchiha before moving on to their next target.

With a signal to his team he rushed northward toward a pair of genin and chūnin. It would be another easy victory. He noticed the signs of shock in the enemy as contradicting orders were called out. The enemy was badly shaken and with his dōjutsu he could see why. The man he literally owed his life to, the Sandaime Hokage had just routed the enemy. They had scattered which would make them even easier picking for the ten wolf packs that could easily identify where they were running to thanks to the Byakugan in every squad. It wouldn't be long now until the shinobi of this city were slaughtered.

 *****BREAK*****

Toroi's heart clenched in despair at what he was seeing. His shinobi were being massacred and there was nothing he could do about it. With it just being Jiraiya he had been certain he could be driven off with their numbers and perhaps even killed if they were lucky. When word came of more Konoha shinobi entering the city his hopes had dwindled. It was to his shame he had been frozen with indecision on whether or not to split his force. Eventually he spit off half of the gathered chūnin to deal with the invaders while the rest dealt with the Sannin.

That dwindling hope turned into soul crushing shock as the Shinobi no Kami entered the battlefield and blasted his forces apart with a combination of Doton, Katon, Futon and Suiton ninjutsu. The legends had all been true.

The city was lost at this point but perhaps some of his force could be salvaged. He ordered a group of twenty shinobi to hold off the perusing Hokage while he gathered what paltry numbers he had left. They would rush toward where the genin should be evacuating the civilians to the shelters that had severed them well in previous attacks originating from Kirigakure. There he would order them to leave the city while he tried to cover their retreat.

 *****BREAK*****

Shimura Danzō wondered how the battle was progressing in Tahara. The fact that he even knew the location of the battle was only a matter of luck. The information security around the Hokage's plans was damnably good.

'He isn't letting me know the full extent of his plans. I can guess much but without the specifics it will prove difficult for me to harvest the Sharingan.'

Normally a war would have been the perfect opportunity to ambush Uchiha out in the field. The limited flow of information was making it nearly impossible to find any vulnerable squads. He supposed he had to be content with the knowledge that he had been given a freer hand in engaging the enemy. Hiruzen allowing him to send his ROOT forces to hunt down genin teams was a refreshing change of pace and had promised access to a whole slew of tantalizing new abilities.

Sadly, so far only one captured genin displayed a kekkei genkai worth harvesting. The boy was twelve and had access to an interesting ability to kill plant life with a touch. While not particularly useful on the surface Danzō was deeply curious about how it worked and what abilities his potential offspring would have. The inverse of the **Mokuton** (Wood Release) greatly interested him.

'After Tahara what is your next move Sarutobi? The northern seaport of Abashiri is hardly a tempting target. My spies tell me that they only move a tenth of the goods of Tahara. Where will you strike next and how can I get my agents in position to acquire more of the Sharingan?'

The **Shinobi no Yami** (Darkness of the Shinobi) sat and pondered that while the battle raged in Tahara.

 *****BREAK*****

Twenty shinobi attempted to bar Sarutobi Hiruzen's path. And twenty shinobi left the mortal coil.

Hiruzen and Enma blazed forward their speed swifter than even the enemy jōnin. Enma was a chief summon such as Manda or Gamabunta, while he lacked their sheer size he made up for it with his raw power and immense skill.

The Kumo shinobi attempted to slow down the Hokage with a barrage of projectiles and jutsu. The aging Hokage easily dispelled the hasty attempt of a genjutsu and continued on only slightly slowed. Any one foolish enough to get within close range fell to his superior speed, strength and taijutsu skill was dealt with swiftly. Enma continued to smash heads and break necks with his long arms and innate agility.

One Kumo shinobi got as close as he dared and attempted to use **Raiton: Jibashi** (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder). The jutsu should have sent a potentially lethal amount of lightning arching from the shinobi's hands. Someone with enough fortitude and good chakra control could survive but they would be severely wounded.

It only took the man known as 'The Professor' an instant to recognize the jutsu and without stopping his forward advance he unleashed his own jutsu on the Raiton user. Wind gathered around him as his **Futon: Uchikubi Retupuu** (Wind Release: Wind Decapitation) roared into life. The blade of air smashed into the Raiton jutsu and due to its elemental superiority it collapsed the halfway formed ninjutsu attack. Its force still not fully spent it pushed onward and instead of decapitating the enemy shinobi in ripped him in two at the waist.

In a last desperate action the remaining eight shinobi all attacked him at the same time. Hiruzen was finally slowed for a few moments but eight broken bodies were left in his wake. The rear guard had bought very little time for the commander of the city.

 *****BREAK*****

By the time Toroi got to the genin the most were already dead, slain by the invading shinobi who had ruthlessly hunted down anyone with a chakra signature that signified them as shinobi. Toroi felt a fresh way of shame and failure come crashing down on him. He ached to accomplish one final useful thing but that too was denied him as Hiruzen, Enma and Jiraiya arrived on the scene.

"So this is my legacy. Death and destruction of my city at the hands of the Sandaime Hokage himself. What did I do to deserve such an honor?" He spat out the words angrily as he turned to face the men would surely kill him.

The Hokage's gaze was sharp. "You did nothing. It was your Raikage who brought this on your head."

Toroi bowed his head in defeat. He knew it was pointless but his warrior spirit would not allow him to die like this, meekly accepting death. In a blur his hands moved and he hurled his shuriken directly at the Hokage. The Hokage batted them aside and Toroi used his **Jiton** (Magnet Release) to send them directly back at the Sandaime.

The end came swiftly. Jiraiya and Enma both pounced on him and he felt a rib crack from a brutal punch followed by a final strike at the back of his neck. In his last moment of consciousness he realized that it wasn't a mortal blow. They wanted to take him alive and he had foolishly let them.

 **AN:** And that's a wrap. This was a very heavy combat chapter so those of you who are into that I hope you enjoyed it. Those of you who aren't will be glad to know that the next chapter we will get to see some fallout as well as what Hiruzen plans to do next. It was fairly anti-climatic at the end however in truth there was little chance the Shinobi no Kami was going to be done in by some A ranked scrub.

What was your favorite battle so far? Also which of the two squads do you like reading about more? Hizashi and Itachi's squad or Anko and Shisui under Shibi?


	7. Chapter 7: Aftermath

**AN:** Just a quick note I've adjusted some things in the timeline. Per the Naruto wiki the attempted coup d'état of the Fire Daimyo occurred about two years after Naruto's birth. Here it hasn't happened yet. I've also taken some liberties in the relationship between the shinobi villages and the Daimyo. Honestly it never made sense that shinobi would kowtow to the Daimyo when they held so little actual power. In the show an existential threat existed and the Daimyo were busy arguing about making medals for the shinobi. If the Daimyo had not consented to the creation of a joint force do you think the villages would have listened to them? I certainly don't.

 **Chapter 7:** Aftermath

Sarutobi Motoki was not your typical Sarutobi. Unlike many of his clan he had no desire to ever become a shinobi. In fact he had wanted nothing to do with being part of a shinobi village. Instead he had wanted to make his own way in the world.

Motoki had always been fascinated by the Akimichi dishes that were brought out during major inter-clan functions. Through trial and error he was able to make similar type recipes and with a bit of starting capital from his brother, who was an active duty shinobi, he made his way to southern Hi no Kuni and set up his own restaurant.

And there for the last fifteen years he enjoyed life with his wife and three children. Two sons and a little girl that soon had him wrapped around her little finger. After a long and tiring, but fulfilling day he returned home to horror. As soon as he walked into the door he knew something was wrong. His wife's body was on the floor in a puddle of blood. He raced to her hoping she was alive. He turned her over and saw that her throat had been cut. She was gone.

A fresh wave of panic descended over him. Where were his children? His eldest would have returned from school by now and his two youngest were still at home.

He raced up to their rooms and saw their bodies. He crashed to his knees and let out a howl of denial. A kunai silenced that howl and turned it into a gurgle. Motoki fell to the ground and as his life's blood ran out and his vision faded he saw a shinobi.

The minor Sarutobi scion had tried to run away from the shinobi world. He had tried to live his life in peace but the shinobi world didn't care and it had no mercy.

 *****BREAK*****

Aburame Shibi was satisfied with his team's performance. They had defeated a total of 19 enemy shinobi and only suffered minor injuries in the process. Shibi knew that he was not the best short range fighter. His team made up for that quite sufficiently. Shisui could get into to close range instantly and unless his opponent had excellent reflexes they were done for.

Anko had a rare and powerful fighting style. To Shibi's knowledge it was known only to a handful of individuals. Her summoned snakes were a second deadly type of attack that she used ruthlessly. Hoheto like all Hyūga had his taijutsu.

They had performed more than adequately and he had told them that their efforts had exceeded his initial expectations by a moderate margin. He had been advised by the elders in the Aburame clan that allies appreciated being praised. When he spoke those words his observations indicated he had not clearly communicated his praise because they looked at him oddly.

'It would be constructive to question them on how I acknowledged their success however the elders also stated that having direct discussions regarding social niceties is also a social faux pas. Frustrating.'

While it was frustrating it didn't disturb his aplomb because he like Aburame knew that anger clouded thinking. Nonetheless he could clearly see why so few Aburame were asked to fulfill leadership roles in shinobi squads.

Fortunately the team had not dwelled on the comment. The mood was jubilant in general as Konohagakure had won a great victory. Shibi knew his squad's work was not yet done. That very night his team would be transported once more fifty miles west where an ANBU squad there waiting. Then they would conduct a joint assault on one of the watch towers that overlooked the trade route from Tahara.

He was starting to see how Sarutobi-sama's plan was coming together. A series of attacks to eliminate shinobi were only part of it. The shock would demoralize Kumo and cripple trade. Shibi believed there was probably more to it but without more data he couldn't be certain. Even he as a jōnin had not been privy to what his next move would be after the assault on the tower.

"We are schedule to leave within the hour. You should all consume an appropriately sized meal for energy sustainment."

His team nodded with Anko rolling her eyes. A sign of disrespect clearly however the fiery young kunoichi had followed all of his orders precisely in the field meaning there was more to lose in terms of team cohesion and morale in addressing the disrespect as opposed to letting it slide. If there was a pattern of behavior and significant lull in the fighting he would broach the subject. For now he simply took out his own pack and began eating the nutrient dense and tasteless field rations.

 *****BREAK*****

Samui had been given twenty squads of her choosing. Her mission was to locate any of the genin squads outside of Kaminari no Kuni and bring them home. Primarily the attacks had been occurring in the lands of Shimo no Kuni and Yu no Kuni. Her younger brother had been on a mission to Ta no Kuni which was just west of Shimo no Kuni.

'Atusi you had better be all right.'

She had been given a list of missions for the 22 genin teams that were operating in the two nearest nations. Half of them had failed to report in. Four of them had a mission type that took them away from major villages and towns and four squads had been successfully located. Three additional squads were already in route but had not yet met at the rendezvous point. She knew that Atusi and his squad would have to return through Shimo no Kuni so she took her personal squad towards the border.

Her personal squad consisted of three individuals who were either young or appeared young. The blond kenjutsu mistress figured it would be worthwhile to use her team as bait. Her primary concern was making sure Atusi was safe but she always wanted vengeance on the cowardly Konoha shinobi who were targeting people just like her brother.

Her other squads were combing the countryside for the genin who had failed to report in and those who were too far away to have heard the news. She was nearing the border of Ta no Kuni when her 'genin' team was ambushed. Sadly for the Konoha dogs this was no genin team. She was an elite jōnin and with her were another jōnin and two chūnin.

The enemy squad was good but her team was on the lookout for precisely this kind of attack. Kunai with explosive tags raced toward them and they scattered, avoiding the explosions. Samui saw a pair of Katon jutsu race for her teammates and she blazed forward drawing her blade. Her tantō sang out as she neared the first masked nin who blocked her strike. The shinobi did not expect that much power behind her blow and he was shoved backwards and rolled on the ground. Without stopping Samui pushed forward for the kill strike only for two more opponents to block her path.

She was in the bingo books ranging from B to A rank depending on how accurate a particular village's information was. They clearly thought she was the jōnin and were concentrating on her. Her blade whirled and clashed with theirs and they could not find an opening to exploit. And they really didn't have time to because the 'genin' of her team sprang into action. A bolt of azure lightning crossed the battlefield striking one of the Konoha shinobi directly in the chest. Samui ducked another slash and countered with a swift slash to the leg that expertly ripped open the femoral artery.

A gout of fire roared out from of the mouth of one of the Konoha shinobi. She leapt back hastily as the flames licked her skin. Even as the jutsu was burning she pulled an extra kunai out and threw it at her opponent's foot. No cry of pain occurred when her kunai connected but the Katon jutsu abruptly ended. Her squad mate had a quick close quarters brawl with that ended with the enemy nin lighting an explosive tag in close quarters. Samui bit back a curse as one of her chūnin was severely injured in the blast.

'The bastard blew himself up when he saw he was outmatched and nearly killed him!'

The final nin fled and Samui signaled her team not to follow. They had an injury and there was no guarantee there weren't additional foes nearby. She walked over and inspected the damage. He would be all right but taking an explosive blast at that range had caused severe burns and partial loss of hearing. They didn't have a medical nin as part of their squad.

"Team 21 has a medical nin and they are only a few hours away. I plan on dropping you off there and then pushing on."

Her subordinates nodded. She hated when someone on her squad was injured but she couldn't help the rush of satisfaction that filled her core. There were now three less Konoha assassins alive.

 *****BREAK*****

Sarutobi Asuma was enjoying life right now. He was away from Konohagakure and the stifling presence of his father. It wasn't that he hated his father but everyone there knew him as 'the Hokage's son.' If he was successful and reached the rank of jōnin earlier than most no one cared. Of course he would be a good shinobi his father was the Sandaime! It irked him to no end.

But here in the capital of Hi no Kuni, his name didn't mean much. In fact in some circles it was the very opposite of a boon. He had to work harder to prove himself since some of the **Shugonin Jūnishi** (Guardian Ninja Twelve) resented Konohagakure's autonomy. It had been made worse in the last week after the Hokage's letter to the Elemental Nations.

In theory the Fire Daimyo ruled Hi no Kuni and Konohagakure was his to command. But that was a complete farce. In none of the Elemental Nations did the Daimyo have that kind of power. In truth the Daimyo did control the purse strings of the nation and set laws for civilians. He never set laws for shinobi. Tension was rare since it benefited no one. Even with legions of soldiers and drafted civilians he couldn't defeat the strength of a major hidden village. Likewise Konohagakure would be wise to avoid antagonizing the Daimyo because the Daimyo could hire shinobi from other lands and that would impact the income of the village.

Unfortunately some of the Guardian Twelve were very vocal about his father's actions. Kazuma in particularly gave him quite a bit of grief. Asuma wish the bastard would shut up about it but thankfully many of his other comrades didn't care. In fact he was enjoying a drink with Chiriku. Well he was enjoying a drink and Chiriku was enjoying… water.

"I'm telling you, you need to live a little Chiriku."

The long suffering monk merely gave a companionable sigh.

Asuma's eye was drawn to a figure entering the bar. She immediately perked his interest. She was tall for a woman and had long dark hair. Her skin was lightly tanned all the way from her face to her upper thigh that her dress revealed. The bar was upscale so it wasn't a surprise to see a woman with such finery enter though typically she would have some companions.

The woman ordered a drink and pulled out a cigarette. She flipped her lighter only for it to fail to spark. Her picturesque face was marred with a petulant frown. She asked the man next to her for a light but he shook his head. Asuma took a long drink.

"Looks like it is my lucky night." Asuma smiled.

Chiriku let his own smile appear on his features. "Perhaps, either that or you'll be back here drinking far too much sake."

Asuma grumbled and walked up to the dark haired woman. He gallantly presented his lighter and produced the flame for her to light her own smoke.

"Thanks, you're a life saver." She replied after a long drag of her cigarette.

"My pleasure, what brings you here? I haven't seen you in town before."

She looked at him through long eyelashes. "My brother is a merchant and I'm travelling with him. He is admittedly poor company." Her eyes took in his strong physique. "Looks like I've found better company."

Asuma smiled and they began making small talk. The ladies did like him. He was the Daimyo's bodyguard; his sash let all know it. While he didn't enjoy people seeking him out just for his position he figured it was a great way to get girls to take a look. And in Asuma's mind it only took one look before they saw something they liked that had nothing to do with family or station.

However Asuma wasn't born yesterday. The kunoichi was good but he had gone through quite a bit of training to spot spies. He didn't know what her intentions were but he doubted they were good. He was careful to keep his guard up and never let her hands near his drink. She was flirtatious and soon the invitation came to rent a room upstairs for the night away from her brother.

Asuma smiled and rubbed his scraggily beard he was trying to grow. "Sure thing let me tell my friend goodnight and we'll go up."

Asuma walked over to Chiriku and moved his lips without actually speaking. It took only a small bit of chakra to enhance hearing if you knew the trick and he didn't know if she did or not. "Don't react but she's a kunoichi. Stay close." He mouthed it all very quickly and then out loud said, "I told you I've got the touch. Cover my morning duty will you?"

The monk nodded and said goodbye aloud. That done Asuma took the woman by the arm and guided her to the stairs. "Ladies first," he told her as she ascended the stairs to her room. He walked behind her as she opened the door. As soon as the door was open he rested his trench knife on the back of her neck.

"No sudden moves now. I would hate to slip."

 *****BREAK*****

Hizashi bowed as he entered the room the Hokage had commandeered as his headquarters in Tahara.

"Hizashi how goes the forced evacuation?" The Sandaime asked as he finished reading a scroll in the candle light.

"It goes well Hokage-sama, 95% of the population has been forced out. We have a few stubborn holdouts hiding or trying to barricade themselves in."

Hiruzen put down the scroll he was reading. "I'll need everyone gone in the next day or so. I would hate to have to kill them but I can't have them interfering with our operations."

They discussed a few more details about the fallout of the attack and then the Hokage asked about his squad.

"They performed admirably. In fact I'd like to give Uchiha Itachi a battlefield promotion to chūnin. He far surpasses any mere genin at this point."

"I hear he is a genius even among the Uchiha."

"Yes, and I would say if anything it is understated. Due to his age his chakra reserves and strength are low but his genjutsu is flawless. He even trapped a jōnin in one during the attack."

The Hokage considered it for a few moments and then agreed. Normally one had to be promoted to chūnin during the chūnin exams or by a department head if the particular shinobi worked in a branch like T&I. The Hokage or the jōnin commander could of course just grant a promotion. The exams were the preferred choice however since it allowed a village to showcase their up and coming talent. Hiruzen could see the benefit since his genin status was really a mislabeled rank and furthermore it would foster good will between the Uchiha and the Hyūga.

"His skills as a shinobi aside, how has he handled the conflict itself. He is only eight."

Hizashi's expressionless face flickered a moment into regret before returning to its normal mask.

"It hurts him. I can see that he despises killing and regrets every life that he takes. And even with that regret he does his duty and does not shirk his responsibilities. It does wear at him however and he was looking forward to catching up with his cousin Shisui but the squad Shisui was assigned to has already left the city."

"Are you concerned about his mental health? Should I recall him to Konoha and have the Yamanaka clan work with him?" Hiruzen wasn't serious about the suggestion but he wanted to hear Hizashi's thoughts.

Hizashi shook his head. "His father would never allow it. And while I am concerned about him from everything I have seen of his dedication to the village I would stake my life on his continued performance. The boy carries the Will of Fire. Not as a flaming beacon shining light to all corners but rather the steadfast flame that protects and comforts the family from the elements."

The Hokage allowed himself a small smile. This piece of news provided further vindication to how he had brought the Uchiha back into the fold. He was about to ask about the other members of the squad when Raidō entered with a fresh report.

"Aburame's team reports success with no fatalities and only minor to moderate wounds among his squad and ANBU team badger."

More welcome news indeed. The Hokage had set up a message system using the modified Hiraishin. It involved someone creating a Kage Bunshin and then having it transported to someone with the seal. The clone would hear the report and then dissipate allowing the creator to learn all that was reported. While somewhat chakra intensive it was manageable. The former bodyguards of the Yondaime were kept away from the fighting and all other duties save for the use of the one technique.

And back home in Konohagakure the newly trained Kakashi, Shikaku and Inoichi were still sending in squads based on his initial orders. All throughout Kaminari no Kuni 'soft targets' were being hit within a fifty mile radius of Tahara. There were a few other attacks completed outside of that circle but they had to keep those to a minimum since it would leave the attackers stranded deep behind enemy lines. For some of the elite stealth based squads this was fine and even critical to the Hiruzen's plan but primarily they were focusing their efforts on the eastern part of Kumo's territory.

"Excellent, have Shibi make his way back east. Have his team ambush any merchants who have stopped for the night. Kill any guards and destroy the goods but leave the merchants alive."

Raidō nodded and soon another Kage Bunshin was created to relay the information. The Hokage turned back to Hizashi.

"Get some rest and have your squad lead the efforts in the morning. I want the city completely evacuated no later than nightfall."

Hizashi bowed and left the tent. Hiruzen had his assistant put down another mark on the large map on the desk next to him. His plans were going well so far. Kumo had been completely blindsided by the attack and no doubt they would scramble to respond.

'They are massing at their own border. Will they march toward Tahara or will they invade Hi no Kuni? Will they do both?'

Either way he had planned for all three possibilities. Plans of course needed to be changed after contact with the enemy or with new information. The interrogation of Toroi might yield valuable intelligence. He had been the commander of Tahara and would likely be a goldmine. He had no doubt his people would glean the secrets from his mind. The Yamanaka clan was once again proving their worth. Transporting the prisoner to Konohagakure was a simple task thanks to the Yondaime's three person variant of his signature jutsu.

'It was borderline gross negligence in not having more individuals learn that jutsu. There are risks in having too many shinobi learn it since it would be a disaster if our enemies were able to learn it but keeping it limited to nine fanatically loyal shinobi will mitigate that. All of them know to end their lives if it looks like they would be captured.'

He forcefully pushed that thought aside. There was much to do but he did need to get some rest. Everything was on track for the moment but eventually he would be on the battlefield with a jinchūriki or the Raikage himself. He would need to be at his best for those foes.

 *****BREAK*****

Sarutobi Asuma had the pretty spy right where he wanted her. With his blade on her neck any sudden moves were impossible.

"W-what are you talking about?" The kunoichi asked in a frightened voice.

"You can drop the act. A beautiful woman happens to come into the bar that I'm visiting, that I'm known to be at often and can't get a light? You also move a shade too smoothly for a civilian, aren't from around the area and readily agreed to spend the night with me after only one drink. I know I look good but that's a stretch."

The kunoichi shuddered. "They're going to kill me. I didn't have a choice."

Asuma heard the waver in her voice. She was scared all right.

"If you tell me who 'they' are I can make sure we take them out and if you cooperate things might not go too badly for you. But first I'll need to know what is going on."

She took a deep breath. "All right I'll tell you everything, please just don't let anyone hurt me."

Asuma sighed. He didn't like this at all. The fact kunoichi had to do seduction missions sickened him. The thought of Kurenai doing something like this made his insides knot up. In Konoha it was never required but there was a lot of social pressure on kunoichi to do their duty to the village when it was necessary. And many other villages weren't like Konoha. This poor girl probably had been picked up just for her looks and then forced into this.

"I promise no one will hurt you." He took his trench knife off of her neck and in an instant she moved.

She threw herself forward into a roll and twisted her body around while finishing her jutsu.

 **Futon: Shinkūgyoku** (Wind Release: Vacuum Air Bullets) roared out of her mouth sending cylinder shaped blasts of air flying toward Asuma. Luckily for him he was a Futon specialist himself and quickly pushed chakra into his blades and deflected the attacks. Before he could attack her she jumped straight back and smashed through the glass window.

Asuma hurried to pursue and as he left the window he realized his mistake. He wasn't sure if this was all part of the original plan or just a really good backup plan. Either way he was in for the fight of his life as attacks came from three separate directions.

Down on the ground a slender man in dark clothing and a mask finished his hand seals and attempted to place Asuma in a genjutsu. From above another kunoichi in the garb of a waitress completed **Raiton: Sand** **ā** **boruto** (Lightning Release: Thunderbolt). From the side two kunai screamed toward him. Asuma flooded his system with chakra breaking the genjutsu and then slashing upward with his chakra blades allowing the Futon encased blades to disrupt the jutsu. He succeeded for the most part but was still shocked a bit by the residual Ration energy that hit him.

Being required to do all of things at once meant he couldn't avoid the kunai. One slammed into the meat of his shoulder while the other gave him a shallow cut across the ribs. He fell to the ground hurt but brought up both knives right away despite the pain in his shoulder. The would be seductress came at him with a kunai the moment he landed. It wasn't just a kunai though, she was using **Futon: Shinkūjin** (Wind Release: Vacuum Blade). The blade of wind came crashing down and he used both trench knives to block. He shoved her back just in time to see yet another attacker, this time a male who had been in the bar, the guy who didn't have a lighter.

Looking at him more closely he saw that he was quite muscular, his dark skin heavily implied he was from Kumogakure. He feinted forward and Asuma cut at him only for the kunoichi to strike again. Forced to defend himself from the vacuum blade it allowed the taijutsu expert to come in close and hit him with a vicious stomp to the side of his knee.

Asuma gave a cry of pain as the stomp tore apart the critical ligaments in his knee. He felt to the ground on that damaged knee and slashed out. The man dodged the trench knife but the extension of Futon charka around allowed Asuma to still score a shallow cut across his chest. He then quickly performed a Kawarimi right as the kunoichi swept her vacuum blade through the space he had just departed.

He replaced himself with a small branch that had fallen off a tree. It only got him twenty feet away and the enemy was quickly reorienting themselves onto his position.

'Can't put any pressure on the leg.'

The second kunoichi was racing towards him flashing through the hand seals for **Raiton: Jibashi** (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder). Asuma responded with **Futon: Daitoppa** (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough). The Futon jutsu had the elemental superiority advantage and crushed the enemy ninjutsu while driving her and the taijutsu expert back.

The man who had attempted to place a genjutsu on him didn't attack since at that moment Chiriku arrived on the scene and rushed him. Asuma couldn't afford to pay attention to that fight as the damned kunoichi who had deceived him struck again with her blade of air.

It was clear she was skilled with kenjutsu. Asuma blocked her strikes as she circled around to his left side. He couldn't put any weight on his leg which forced him to turn slowly and she took full advantage of that fact. Her blade sliced into his rib an inch when he had been a fraction of a heartbeat too slow to parry with his own blade. With her free hand she grabbed the kunai in his shoulder and ripped it out sideways tearing through more flesh.

He gave another cry of pain and saw another Raiton jutsu erupt, this time he wasn't the target though. The enemy was trying to keep Chiriku away from him. Asuma grit his teeth and used his good leg to push off from and try to gain some distance from the kunoichi.

She was on him in a moment but in that brief moment of separation he had been able to finish another Kawarimi. Unfortunately it didn't get him far enough as the bastard who wrecked his knee was on him in less than a second. Asuma forced him back with the speed of his blades but he couldn't get in a killing strike with his lack of mobility.

Hope soared in his chest as he saw Chiriku snap the neck of the genjutsu specialist.

'Have to survive until he can save my ass.'

On came the kunoichi who now had two kunai. Both blades blazed with Futon chakra. One slashed toward his side and the other came in a slower but more powerful overhand arc. He blocked both but the downward strike forced pressure onto his knee. It collapsed under him and her rising knee took him square in the face, breaking his nose.

He fell backward and he saw his life flash before his eyes as the blades began to descend once more. Chiriku was there though with a powerful kick that sent her flying backwards. His friend's body arched as Raiton energies contorted his body.

'Damn it he had to turn his back on his opponent to save me!'

He rolled to avoid the downward stomp from the taijutsu expert. He slashed out and scored another shallow cut on the man's leg. Chiriku was on the ground still twitching as the other kunoichi used **Raiton: Sand** **ā** **boruto** (Lightning Release: Thunderbolt again. Asuma countered with Futon jutsu saving Chiriku from being finished off.

A kunai flew toward him filled with Futon energy. He dodged to the side and nearly fell again as his knee wouldn't cooperate. He saw the kunai slam through the wall of a nearby building and continue going. Chiriku slowly got to his feet muscles still twitching. He broke free of the last of the lingering Raiton jutsu and kicked away the other taijutsu specialist and sprinted for the Raiton user.

Light filled night air as the monk used **Raigō: Senjusatsu** (Welcoming Approach: Thousand Armed Murder). The jutsu not only blocked the lightning it also devastated the kunoichi, barraging her with punches until she collapsed in a heap. Asuma couldn't admire the technique for long as kunoichi in the dress stalked forward with her single wind blade.

Her attacks were swift and fluid. Asuma was confident he could take her if he wasn't already injured but with those injuries it was only a matter of time. His wounded shoulder made that arm weaker and he pulled up to parry too slow. Her vacuum blade sliced into his face horizontally. It ripped right through his left eyeball and part of his nose. Another inch and he would have lost both eyes. He fell back into a tree, blood loss and exhaustion meant he knew the fight was done.

Triumph surged in her foes eyes. "Die Sarutobi!"

For one final time Chiriku came to Asuma's aid. He had just finished defeating the third opponent. His battle had taken him too far way to run the distance; instead he used Kawarimi to replace himself with a large piece of bark that had been ripped from the tree in the fight. He interposed himself between Asuma and the vacuum blade. The blade ripped into his torso, cut straight through it and his right lung. However as this was happening his knife hand strike took the kunoichi in the throat, instantly crushing her larynx and windpipe.

Asuma watched in horror out of his one remaining eye. His best friend amongst the **Shugonin Jūnishi** (Guardian Ninja Twelve) died right in front of him. Blood was everywhere. He struggled to get up to see if there was anything that could be done for his friend. But it was too late. The blade had almost bisected him. He gurgled his last as did the kunoichi. Asuma grabbed his friend and wept.

Within minutes the guard would find Sarutobi Asuma, maimed and in despair, but still alive unlike the assassins from Kumogakure.

 *****BREAK*****

Dodai of the **Yōton** (Lava Release) had finally arrived in Kumogakure. When word came that war had been declared he had been busy leading a squad on the hunt for a pair of chūnin missing nin. They weren't dangerous for a jōnin of his skill but they were quite good at avoiding other shinobi who had been sent after them. That was why the Raikage at the time had personally assigned Dodai to the task.

He was in his late 40s and one of the few of the older generation that the Raikage trusted. This was likely due to him having selected Killer B to be the partner to the young Raikage to be. As soon as Dodai arrived he was escorted to see the Raikage in his office.

"Dodai it is good to see you." The Raikage barked and threw down the scroll he was reading.

"And you as well Raikage-sama."

"I trust you were successful?"

Dodai quirked an eyebrow. The Raikage laughed.

"A foolish question, I have never known you to fail."

"I wish that were true. I have five mission failures though that one D rank when I was ten I still feel should be expunged. But enough I know you are busy and I know we are at war. What can I do to help?"

The Raikage paced by the widow looking for the rest of the village. Dodai was good at reading people and he knew his Kage was tense. The man had the responsibility for an entire village riding on his broad shoulders. Their hopes, their dreams and their continued existence were all dependent on the Raikage's decisions.

The elite jōnin listened to his leader as he went over the situation. The botched attempted to abduct the Hyūga, the Hokage's declaration of war, the attacks on the genin teams and the debate still raging amongst his council of advisors. The Raikage clearly wanted to invade Hi no Kuni and strike at the heart of Konohagakure. But Darui, a young man the Raikage trusted greatly, was counseling caution. The Hokage had laid down the gauntlet and declared his intent to invade. Darui feared some kind of trap if the armies of Kumogakure marched.

"He has a point Raikage-sama. While the Hokage's letter declared it was just between Konohagakure and us and that they needed no help, it could have been a ruse. They tricked us once when they promised Hiashi's body and it cost us several good shinobi. We cannot trust them."

The pacing stopped and he turned toward Dodai.

"And let the Hokage continue to assault our land? To pick off those still young and untested? I've already responded in kind to his predations but that is just a start. He threatens my village? He dares demand our unconditional surrender? I'll crush the senile old fool and his damned village!"

Dodai chose not to enter into a direct argument and instead focused on part of his statement. There was too much emotion regarding the attack on the genin teams. When A had become the Raikage he had pushed to expand the size of the shinobi force. Through a combination of aggressive recruiting, financial incentives for parents to enroll their children in shinobi training and a slight lessening of the requirements to become a genin they had expanded their shinobi force. These reforms though meant that many of the genin would not have become shinobi in the first place without the Raikage's actions. In turn, this also meant that they would not have been killed by the Konoha assassins. Likely he blamed himself which helped fuel his clear anger.

"You mentioned that you have responded in kind? What do you mean?"

The Raikage's smile didn't quite reach his blazing eyes. "Anyone with a drop of Sarutobi blood outside of Konohagakure has been targeted. I'll make his clan as endangered as the Senju and the Uzumaki."

Dodai frowned slightly. "Is that really the best use of our shinobi?"

"It will teach the world a lesson. Strike at the future of Kumo and we will not only end you but your entire line."

"Perhaps, but is the dawn of a full scale war the right time to be lecturing the world?"

"Bah. It's done."

'That's as close as I'm going to get as an admission of fault from him.'

Before Dodai could continue onto another subject a messenger rushed into the room.

"Lord Raikage! Konohagakure has attacked Tahara and destroyed the docks!"

"WHAT?" The Raikage boomed and snatched the scroll from the frightened chūnin. Dodai was shocked. He knew Toroi quite well; the man would have put up a hell of a fight against an invader. He had three hundred shinobi under him. How had Konoha reached so far into Kaminari no Kuni?

The Raikage grew even angrier as he read the scroll. "Bring me the rest of my council. I want them here in five minutes or I'll have their heads!"

 **AN:** Chapter is a bit longer than most – I hope you enjoy it! As always I love to hear from you in regards to what went well and what could use some work.


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